


Familiar, Like My Mirror Years Ago

by Elvishdork



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Explicit Language, Friends to Lovers, In this House I’m taking canon and throwing it out the window. Bye bitch!, MC with She/Her Pronouns, Multi, No beta we die like lilith, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Optional Smut in Later Chapters with Warnings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post Lesson 20 Spoilers, Romance, Slow Burn, Solomon's POV, Story takes place Post Lesson 20, unnamed MC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:15:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29005902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elvishdork/pseuds/Elvishdork
Summary: For a year she was the only human around him.  Now that the RAD exchange program has come to a close, he wishes he had gotten to know her better.  Especially as he sees the writing on the wall of the impending arcane calamity that's about to strike the three realms.Solomon has had a duty of being humanity's guardian in the backdrop for millennia.  As the sole human representative between the realms with the power to hold his own against both demons and angels, he's taken the responsibility of overseeing humanity's best interests in inter-realm issues quite seriously.  Normally he would eliminate whatever is causing the issue between the realms.  Except now the theory is that she's the cause.  And, as is to happen between responsibility and matters of the heart, Solomon is trying to find an exception for the first time.Or: how Solomon ended up no longer alone.
Relationships: Asmodeus/Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Main Character / Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Comments: 60
Kudos: 69





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place after Lesson 20.

> _“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun”_ \- King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 1:9

* * *

Solomon’s finger tapped the little green icon on the dial pad. The line didn’t even ring once before it was answered.

“Well this is a surprise.”

“Hello, I hope I’m not bothering you.” 

“Not at all. I’m just surprised you would call me.”

“Well my other option is summoning Barbatos to act as a messenger pigeon between us, and we both know how much he hates for me to waste time; both yours and his.” 

There was a light chuckle on the other end of the line. “Indeed he does. So, I’ll spare you formalities, care to cut to the chase?”

“Last time we spoke, you had a theory. You’re right,” Solomon replied. He looked out over the massive sinkhole. Like a gaping maw in the earth, the jagged outline of dirt that had been spared the collapse resembled teeth. Almost as though it would attempt to bite at him if he stood too close. 

The dirt that had yet to settle drifted towards an unseen pit. Like sand being sucked down in an hourglass. He knew from the location that the dirt was being dropped on some layer of the Devildom. Something had caused the old, naturally occurring portal to open and swallow up the dirt beneath it.

Solomon will have to place a seal on the area to prevent it from spreading.

“When did it start there?” 

“It didn’t start out at this scale, but according to everyone I’ve spoken to so far, about six months ago.” Solomon replies. It lines up almost perfectly with Belphegor’s release from the attic.

It started so small with a shift in weather patterns, consistent with global warming if only a little accelerated. It was no red flag; but quickly it grew in scale until even dormant portals began acting up. There’s always a little bit of magical bleed-over from natural occurring portals where the realms intersect, but nothing of the likes of which he’s been seeing recently.

The last portal he went to he’d found the grassland around it suddenly changed, as though the Celestial realm were bleeding into the human one.

A month ago the program ended and things have only escalated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fic title comes from Hozier's "From Eden"


	2. Return & Reflect

**[ACT I]**

Time for you and time for me,

And time yet for a hundred indecisions,

And for a hundred visions and revisions,

Before the taking of a toast and tea.

_T. S. Eliot - “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”_

* * *

He hates scrying, it always leaves him with a headache. A pounding in the space between his eyes that lingers for hours. Still he pours water into a bowl, writes runes on his desk in chalk, and pictures her in his mind's eye as he mutters the incantation. 

He finds her walking a busy city street. Her DDD in her hand, talking to one of the seven Lords of the Devildom no doubt. Probably Mammon if he has to guess by the easy banter between them. 

He couldn’t have timed this better if he had tried. He holds his hand out over a sheet of paper as he watches. He calls upon the four cardinal directions and acquires her location. He blinks, cancelling the scrying spell, and bringing him back to his own surroundings. Already there is a dull thudding awakening in his skull. He ignores it as he stands from his desk, pulls out his own DDD, and begins to text her with one hand while his other starts to write out the teleportation circle on his floor. 

> **monSOLO** : Hey. How are you doing? 
> 
> **monSOLO** : It’s been awhile.
> 
> **monSOLO** : I tried calling you just now, but it seems you were on another call.
> 
> **monSOLO** : So I figured I’d go ahead and text you.
> 
> **monSOLO** : So, how’ve you been?

He watches the three little dots blinking as she types her reply. It’s just enough time for him to teleport into an alleyway away from prying eyes. There are rules he needs to obey after all. 

He looks down at her reply, “Honestly, I miss the Devildom. It feels so weird to admit it, but I do.” Walking out into the street, his eyes sweep over the crowd looking for her. She’s easy enough to spot though.

> **monSOLO** : After a year of living there, it’s only natural to miss it. 
> 
> **monSOLO** : But I think you’re really missing your friends instead of a place.
> 
> **monSOLO** : By the way, I can’t help but wondering…

“When were you going to mention how much you miss me?” Solomon finishes, stepping up beside her. “Surprise! You didn’t expect me to show up, did you?” He laughs easily at her stunned expression.

“Solomon! Don’t scare me like that! Where did you even come from? How did you find me?” She asks, rapid fire. 

“Magic, remember?” Solomon replies with a wink, wiggling his fingers for added effect. Then he switches gears, “All right, so now that’s done, let’s get going!” 

She comes to a full stop beside him. “Going? Going where?”

“I mean, you want to go back to the Devildom, don’t you? Well, I’m happy to inform you that King Solomon the Wise is about to grant your wish.”

“Solomon, I can’t just drop everything to go back to the Devildom.” She replies. 

But he expected this. “You worry too much. I have everything taken care of.” 

“I have a job. I have a cat at home that needs to be fed. I can’t just disappear for a visit.” she says and hesitates a moment before adding, “no matter how much I want to go.”

Solomon smiles warmly at her. He insists, “I told you, I have everything covered! A short visit will be nice!”

“I have a deadline at the end of the week though. I really need to be part of that meeting.”

“I’ll have someone reschedule the meeting for you, okay? It’s just a day trip. You’ll be home after dinner. Sound good?” 

* * *

He finds his room in Purgatory hall hasn’t changed at all in the month he’s been gone. He wonders if anyone else actually got the dorm and if they had to move. Or if perhaps, like Luke and Simeon’s old rooms, they’ve just been vacant. 

The excitement of being reunited in the student council chamber did go well. He’d played his part in getting her back here. So what if his day trip turned into a sleepover? Lord Diavolo insisted on things of the sort all the time.

Except he knows better.

He pulls out a few heavy tomes from his bag, recently acquired from the archives. He sets them on his desk and goes about unpacking the rest of what he brought. Contrary to what he told her, he knows that this isn’t going to be a short trip.

Putting cloaks and dress shirts on hangers, he finds he now regrets not getting to know her better. It’s not that he didn’t want to make time for the only other human with him in the Devildom in the previous year, it’s that he didn’t exactly see the point. 

At the time he saw the only other human in the realm as just that: Human. He saw her as mortal and unlearned in the magical arts, and didn’t look past that. At the time he had justified his opinion with limited time; he only had a year in the Devildom to further his knowledge and make additional connections. 

If he’d been wiser he would’ve seen her as a worthy connection early on. The signs were all there if he thought about it for long enough. Hindsight can really be a bitch like that. 

Finished with unpacking his clothes, he sat down at his desk. He pulled the first of three large books in front of him and flipped back to the index. While it would’ve been nice to read it cover to cover, he was after some specific knowledge and didn’t have the time to kill. Lord Diavolo is expecting him to be caught up for whatever tomorrow's meeting will reveal.

But still his mind played the same beratement. So perhaps he had been surprised to learn that before the end of their first week at RAD she had managed to make a pact with Mammon, the Avatar of Greed. Despite what others might say about Mammon’s intelligence, a pact with one of the seven rulers of the Devildom is not something to take lightly. 

Even he had needed his ring when it came to Asmodeus. 

When he heard the news, he had thought that perhaps there was something to the other human exchange student. Maybe something Asmodeus initially overlooked when he told Solomon about the woman suddenly living under his roof. He went out of his way to finally meet her in the halls of RAD the following day, only to learn that she was extraordinarily mundane. At the time he’d found it disappointing, but still interesting. What would she gain from such a pact if she’s unable to even call upon it? Pacts with mundane humans have of course occurred throughout history, but not with one of the Avatars of Sin.

Really that should’ve been his first clue there was possibly something more. No, on second though, his first clue should’ve come from Asmodeus' bemoaning that she seemed immune to his charms. He’d brushed that aside at the time, amused that Asmodeus wasn’t finding her an easy conquest. He should’ve focused on the fact that she was seemingly immune to the Avatar of Lust's charms and compulsion. But no, he had ignored that too. 

His second clue should’ve been when not even two weeks after forging her first pact, she was knocking on his door and asking for help with her soon-to-be second. Back when she had been shy and unsure of herself; as well as unsure and cautious of the world she’d suddenly been dropped into. All characteristics of someone recently brought into the fold of the knowledge of magic and the relationship of the three realms. He’d seen it enough in other people throughout his excessively long lifespan. 

He remembered it so clearly, the first time she sought him out. She’d knocked at his door and asked for his aid. At the time he thought she would be the perfect test run, to see if his idea would even work to begin with. Playing into any demon’s crutches is a risky gamble, and Leviathan’s envy is all the more dangerous to provoke. He thought if she succeeded, then perhaps it would only confirm the path to his own pact with the third Lord of the Devildom. 

He wasn’t there for the contest, but hearing all the second-hand retelling of events made him regret the fact that he had declined to attend. It would’ve been better to have seen it first-hand; but he had reasoned that his attendance could’ve put his chances of a pact at risk. 

Knowing what he does now, it was probably wiser not to attend considering Leviathan’s reaction when his charm was pulled out. Solomon was able to at least claim innocence there.

After that, their next interaction had been at the retreat at Lord Diavolo’s castle. Solomon remembered how he whisked her away from Lucifer to dance. How he had held her close and stirred jealousies within her housemates. He had given her access to his magic that night, curious with what she would do with it. At that point she had three pacts and still had no access to the arcane to call upon any of them. 

Solomon blinked and pulled himself from his thoughts long enough to realize that he had completely missed the last paragraph. He flipped the page back and began again.

He knows most of humanity - even those who don’t immerse themselves in the arcane - are at least somewhat sensitive to it to varying degrees. However, she had absolutely no natural inclination or sensitivity to any known branch of the arcane when she arrived in the Devildom. Perhaps that was why she was chosen; to be a foil to his mastery of most arcane arts.

They would need to test her properly. He should’ve back during the retreat when Asmodeus claimed she had drawn out more power than he normally does. At the time he’d thought it odd, borrowed magic does not amplify. If anything the magic she’d used that night should’ve been a mere fraction of his full potential. Well, he gets to kick himself for the oversight now.

Rereading the missed paragraph, one line of text stands out to him: “Nephalems are quite unique and far more powerful than any Nephilim or Cambion.” 


	3. Grinning Poker Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon sits down for breakfast with Lord Diavolo.

It was supposed to be midmorning Tea with Lord Diavolo. However things came up, schedules needed to be accounted for, and Solomon found himself sitting at Lord Diavolo’s dining room table in the early hours of the morning instead.

Though the sky of the Devildom is one of eternal night, Solomon’s internal clock told him it was somewhere close to four in the morning. He had not missed this during his return to his own realm.

Barbatos was kind enough to leave him with a cup of coffee and a scone while he waited for his meeting with Lord Diavolo.

“Ah, there you are,” Diavolo said as he entered. He took his seat across from Solomon, skipping over the spot at the head of the table. Solomon wondered if it was a preference or because he was not yet king. A thought to file away for another time. 

“Good morning. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me now instead of later. I apologize for the inconvenience. Something came up last night that will require me to visit in-person later this morning.” Diavolo continued.

“It’s no problem,” Solomon replied. “Thank you for fitting me into your busy schedule. I hope that whatever demands your presence later isn’t more of what brought us humans back to your realm.” 

The corners of Diavolo’s mouth dipped ever so slightly, but his smile held. It would’ve been easy to miss if Solomon were not so familiar with looking at the expressions of demons. “I’m afraid it does have to do with our problem.” Diavolo pulled his chair closer to the table, settling in. As Barbatos swept over with a tray of breakfast pastries and a cup of tea, he turned his head and said, “Thank you.”

“Of course, sir.” Barbatos said before backing away a respectable distance. Always in the backdrop and on hand if need be. 

“I understand you were up late reading. I apologize if you didn’t get much sleep because of it.” 

“Not all all,” Solomon replied. His hand came up to his chin. “Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve skipped sleep in favor of learning something new. Although I am curious about the nature of what you recommended I read. Do you think she’s a nephilim or a cambion?”

“Hmmmm,” Diavolo hummed, gathering his thoughts. “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. I think she might be something in between.” 

“You think she could possibly be a nephalem?” 

“Not in the traditional sense,” Diavolo replied. “Unfortunately it’s a bit of a long story and I need your word that you will not share it with anyone who resides within the Celestial realm.” Diavolo’s polite smile held, but it did not reach his golden eyes. 

That surprised Solomon, but he did not deny the request. “I, the one they call Solomon, swear under the eternal eyes of darkness, making my witness Barbatos and Lord Diavolo of the Devildom, that the information presented to me at this meeting will not be given to any detezin of the Celestial Realm from my lips.”

He did leave himself the loophole though, just in case. If Lord Diavolo minded, he did not say and his smile did not waver again.

Instead Diavolo began to tell him the story of the Great Celestial War’s ending. How he found Lucifer that night with his dying sister in his arms. And how he took a dying, fallen angel and transformed her into a mortal being.

“So she’s a descendant of Lilith?” Solomon asked. The information suddenly clarified why Belphegor seemed to adore her. He had wondered why a demon so infamous in his hatred of humanity would make a pact with a mundane human. He had thought it was jealousy, simply wanting what his brothers had. Now it all made much more sense. 

“She is. She’s human, but the legacy of Lilith apparently runs deep within her.” Diavolo replied.

Solomon’s hand hesitated on his coffee mug’s handle. “Do you think it’s her legacy or the warping of timelines that’s triggered this?” 

Diavolo looked thoughtful for a moment. “I have had extensive conversations with Barbatos about the merging of timelines, and we both agree that event isn’t to blame for her sudden influence over the three realms.”

“So you’re quite certain it’s her heritage. Did you know she was a descendant before the exchange?” Solomon asked.

“I did,” Diavolo admitted. “I knew that Belphegor would not let go of his hatred of humans otherwise. I needed one of his sister’s descendants to be the bridge to start with if my dream of the realms working together is ever going to come to fruition. However, she wasn’t specifically chosen. I gave Lucifer a list of potential candidates, all of them sharing lineage with Lilith to varying degrees, and told him to choose. It was a gust of wind that dropped her form at his feet.” 

Solomon hummed. “Even still, whatever celestial energy was left in Lilith would’ve been so diluted by the time it reached her that it would’ve been nearly inconsequential.” 

“That’s true. Although magic in humans has always been tricky to fully understand. It was originally nephilim and cambion children that brought magic to humanity.” Diavolo replied. “Regardless, it seems that exposure to the Devildom for a year and her pacts with the seven lords, Lilith’s brothers, has sparked that energy into manifesting.” 

“So it needs to be brought under control.” Solomon replied. 

“It does. Right now it appears she’s not aware of what her magic is doing. I’m hopeful that being back around the brothers settles it down again.”

“And if it doesn’t? She was down here for six months after Belphegor was released from the attic and incidents were already occurring in the human realm.” Solomon replied.

“I’m hoping that it is merely emotions that are drawing it out of her, and with training that she’ll be able to control it.”

“Are you volunteering your school’s services again?” Solomon asked.

“You would leave her magical education to me?” Diavolo replied. There was a slight raise to his eyebrows. Had he expected Solomon to become her teacher? Interesting.

“I would,” Solomon replied. He took a long sip of his coffee, it had gone cold awhile ago now. He ignored the bitter taste. “The Celestial Realm still has no such counterpart to RAD and magical education in the human realm is still mainly through individual apprenticeships.” 

Solomon hesitated before he brought up the other unspoken solution between them. “Her death would stop the problem too, wouldn’t it?” 

Diavolo took a sip of his tea then. Solomon stared into the depths of his golden eyes as he contemplated his response. “It is, of course, an option; but one I would like to avoid if it can be helped.” 

“No, of course. I wasn’t saying it’s our first option. I just prefer to lay out all options on the table.” Solomon replied.

Diavolo let out a hum, buying himself some thinking time. “Indeed. If we are wrong and training doesn’t solve the issue, then it would have to be done.” Diavolo stated calmly. His face was schooled back to an unreadable mask, the small curve of a smile finally dropped. “I would prefer not to resort to that, however.” 

“Neither would I.” Solomon agreed. “If we are to better find out about what we’re dealing with, perhaps putting her in some intermediate arcane arts classes would paint a clearer picture.” 

“That can easily be arranged. Although I’m surprised you don’t want to take her on as an apprentice yourself.” 

Solomon would give himself credit, his poker face held and he smiled politely. “Now why would I do that? I haven’t had an apprentice in a few thousand years.” Not since the last one. Not since he kicked him out of his own society and exiled him from the human realm’s circle of sorcerers. 

“I’m just curious why you would settle for her magical education taking place here, as opposed to your realm.” Diavolo asked, his smile returning.

“As I explained, magical education in the human realm is still mainly done through individual apprenticeships. I don’t believe anyone there capable of possibly teaching her if it is her heritage at play. Also, I feel that your school is the best place to test this theory out. The human realm is also not as friendly to accidental magical mishaps.” 

Diavolo let out a light chuckle before setting his tea cup back down on the saucer. Barbatos was quick to step forward, kettle in hand; but Diavolo held his hand up to stop him from refilling it. “True enough,” Diavolo replied. “We’ll keep her for another semester. Hopefully the information we need will present itself quickly, but worst case scenario by midterms we will acquire it anyway.”

Diavolo stood. “So that is what we shall do. I thank you again for meeting with me so early to discuss this issue. I hope you will excuse me and forgive me this, but I am needed elsewhere at the moment.” 

Solomon nodded, bowing his head slightly. “Of course. Thank you for the information and for handling the situation.”

Solomon watched as the prince of the realm and his butler left the dining room. Solomon sat for a moment longer, turning the information over in his head. Another Little D approached the table, asking if he wanted more coffee. Solomon smiled politely and declined the offer. 

He was just about to leave when his cell dinged. He pulled it from his pocket to see that Simeon was the one who texted. 

Interesting.


	4. Tea, Cakes, & Little Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the Celestial Realm.

“Over here,” Solomon greeted as she walked through the double doors of Demon Lord’s Castle. It was a quarter to noon now and there had been a scramble to work out some last minute plans. “I see you’re not alone. Lucifer, are you coming with us to the Celestial Realm?” he teased, knowing full well that Lucifer couldn’t. One does not get cast out of a realm for starting a civil war and then get invited over for tea afterwards. 

“No,” Lucifer replied solidly. “I hardly have time for a trip like that.” Solomon did not miss the glint of red in the Avatar of Pride’s eyes. A warning against saying more on the matter.

Solomon only grinned a bit wider. 

“Hey there!” Lord Diavolo greeted. “I heard about your invite. It’s good to see you keeping in touch with everyone from the program. I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to catch up yet, but perhaps you’ll be able to stop in for tea before the brother’s return to monopolizing your time.”

“Of course,” she beamed. “I would love to!” 

“Excellent! I look forward to that. But in the meantime, before I make you late for your current plans, I do hope you’ll have a fun trip up there in the Celestial Realm.” Diavolo replied with his regular warm smile. 

Though Diavolo was maintaining his human glamour, it did not escape Solomon’s notice that Barbatos stood in his elegant demon attire. Even though he was standing in Lord Diavolo’s shadow, it was hard to miss his skeletal horns and split tail in full view.

Whatever they had needed to take care of in a deeper level of the Devildom earlier, must’ve been nasty if Barbatos had yet to revert to his carefully maintained human glamour. Looking over everyone’s faces, it seemed that Solomon was not alone in that observation. 

Lucifer’s eyes still swam with a faint glow of red as they flicked between Barbatos and Lord Diavolo, clearly searching for a hint of what he had missed. 

“I can’t wait!” she happily said, her eagerness to see the third realm clear.

“Do you just lack the ability to feel fear? Is that it?” Lucifer asked, looking back towards her. Then his smile turned playful, “Well, I suppose that’s actually one of your strong points.” 

Solomon’s brow furrowed only slightly. He did not recall Lucifer flirting with her at the end of the year. Hmmm, perhaps he would have to ask Asmodeus for the latest gossip there.

Diavolo cleared his throat. “Well then, what do you say we get going, Lucifer? If we don’t hurry, we might not make it there by afternoon.”

“Right, of course. See you when you get back,” Lucifer said to her before he turned his gaze to him. “Solomon, I expect you to take good care of her.” 

Solomon did not need to be such a powerful sorcerer to recognize the magical energy radiating off of Lucifer at the words. Not even a subtle threat in front of Lord Diavolo. Solomon wondered if he should be impressed to be considered so strong as to warrant such a threat in the Avatar of Pride’s eyes. 

“Will do! I’ll act like a knight and see that she comes to no harm.” Solomon replied, his smile light and tone cheery. It was not the first time he had been threatened by such a powerful demon, after all. It would take more than that to fluster him.

“Barbatos, go ahead and show them the way there if you would.” Lord Diavolo instructed.

“Of course, My Lord.” Barbatos replied, bending his arm in front of his abdomen and bowing. Then he turned to the two humans and swept the same arm forward. “Well then, if you’d just follow me. This way please.”

The butler led them through the castle towards the lakeside gazebo. His split tail swishing lightly back and forth as they walked. 

Solomon brought up the rear of their little group, content to watch her for any particular reactions. The last time they had been here had been Diavolo’s birthday party, the time before that had been the student retreat. He remembered how she had looked at the paintings, trying to puzzle them out without realizing they had been glamoured against human sight. Would she be able to see them now? Would she notice the difference? 

Disappointingly, there was nothing of note in the hallways they passed through.

“You know…” Solomon started. “I have to say, I’m surprised that Lucifer’s brothers allowed you to head off to the Celestial Realm.”

“Yes,” Barbatos agreed. His tail flicked to the opposite side. Not unusual, except that the fork unfurled. That was rather telling, Solomon mused. 

“I assume they must have pestered you about wanting to come along?” Barbatos asked.

She smiled lightly. “Oh, they totally did.” 

Something about her smile told Solomon there was perhaps something more than the regular chaos the brothers brought with them everywhere they went. Had something happened for Lucifer to threaten him so overtly? 

Solomon chuckled, hoping she might take the bait, “Ooh? The way you said that, I’m sure that couldn’t have been fun.” 

But Barbatos did not give her enough time to reply. “By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to mention to you. I’m sure you’ve heard of Michael the Archangel, present leader of the Celestial Realm’s Legion of Angels. But were you aware that he is a huge fan of sweets?” 

“Right, that’s why Luke is so set on learning how to make sweets, huh? It’s Michael’s influence.” Solomon stated, keeping his own polite smile up.

“Since you’re going to the Celestial Realm, I imagine you might be treated to some wonderful pastries.” Barbatos said, his own smile showing just a hint of fang. 

“Something tells me Beelzebub would be drooling if he heard what you just said,” Solomon replied. It isn’t often - ever really - that Barbatos tried to cut off his conversations. Had he seen something? Solomon thought back to what he had said to her and couldn’t think of anything striking or unusual. 

They came to a halt at the edge of the lake. “Now then, if you’ll just wait here for a moment…” Barbatos said. Together they all watched as his hands glowed with a teal light. Watching Barbatos create doors is always a treat, Solomon thought as he watched the delicate movements he traced through the air. “The Celestial Gates will open for you,” Barbatos eventually said. 

There were a few flashes of light and then two double doors appeared before them.

“Thank you, Barbatos.” Solomon said, stepping up to her side.

Barbatos smiled, bowed his head slightly. “Think nothing of it. Well then, enjoy your visit.” 

He hooked her arm around his. “I wouldn’t want you to get lost! I promised Lucifer to act as your knight today.” Then he led her forward into the wall of light.

It felt like floating. Like one of those carnival rides that climbs up high before dropping it’s riders. Except it was all climb without the fall. 

His feet touched solid ground again and he blinked the sunspots from his eyes. A view of the Holy Castle greeted them. Lush fields of grass, a sky of warm sunshine, and a shimmering rainbow greeted them too. The Celestial Realm looked exactly as he had remembered it. 

“Well, looks like we made it here in one piece, huh?” Solomon said, turning to her and seeing her jaw-dropped expression. “This is actually my second time in the Celestial Realm. And wow, it really hasn’t changed a bit.” 

“It’s beautiful,” she said with awe. 

“Yeah it is,” Solomon agreed easily. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful view such as this in our realm.” 

“That’s because we’re killing our realm,” she said softly, sadness suddenly tinting her eyes. 

Solomon blinked at her. That was not a reaction he expected. What exactly did she mean by that? Surely she had no idea about what her magic was doing; how it was pulling the seams of the three realms apart. Quickly he reasoned that she was probably just thinking about the consequences of regular human pollution on the realm. Of the many possible factors, he was curious which one she was perhaps focusing on.

Just as he was about to ask, a call in the distance caught both of their attention. “Heeey!” They both turned to look. It was Luke, calling both their names and waving his arms at them as he approached. 

Solomon felt her pull her arm away from his so that she could run towards Luke. He watched, amused, as the small angel jumped into her arms for a hug. The two of them laughing together. By the time the four of them had closed the distance and gathered, Simeon greeted them.

“We’re so glad you two could make it,” his smile was as warm as the Celestial sunshine. “Welcome to the Celestial Realm!”

* * *

The walk towards the castle was turning out to be a delightful stroll. Luke was busy pointing out details along the path to her, talking about the Celestial Realm flora and his favorite things along the path. Meanwhile Solomon hung back a bit with Simeon.

“I’ll ask only a small favor of you that you play along later when I break the news to Luke.” Simeon said, voice low enough for only him to hear.

“Ah, so it’ll be the two of you again?” Solomon asked.

“Michael feels it’d be better for the two of us to go. We were part of the program and we know her.” 

Solomon hummed his agreement. “It makes sense. You’re both already familiar with her and how things are working in the Devildom. It’s easier to just send you both than to have to brief another operative; especially given the short notice.”

“She feels different, somehow,” Simeon stated. Then quickly changing the topic said, “You weren’t very clear when we were on the phone earlier. It’s clear incidents are happening in all three realms, but for how long have they been affecting the other realms?” 

“If I was ambiguous earlier, it’s only because I don’t have a clear picture yet either.” Solomon replied. He chose to let his first comment slide. He liked to think he knew Simeon well enough, that if it was anything worth mentioning then he would explain it. “My best estimate is that things began in the human realm around six months ago. Incidents in the Devildom appear to have only started within the last month.” 

Solomon kept his eyes on her as he spoke. She was laughing with Luke over something he had said. Her smile matched his, bright like sunshine. Was it her budding Celestial energy Simeon sensed? That would make sense.

Simeon nodded. “Six months sounds about right for when things began here too.”

So the only realm who had a delay in the problem was the Devildom. Interesting. However, perhaps not surprising if it was the Devildom’s magic she was feeding off of in order to awaken her own magic. But why would her feeding off of Infernal energy from the Devildom awaken her fragment of Celestial? How would he possibly even begin to test for that?

“The other angels are getting restless,” Simeon stated with a calmness akin to discussing the weather. “Michael is inspecting a sacred spring that dried up suddenly over night. Right now, our best guess is that the water got sucked down to the human realm.” 

Solomon nodded. The path and everything did appear eerily quiet. The last time he had visited the realm, there were dozens of angels flying to and fro. Were they keeping the other angels away from her? Knowing what he knew about some of them, especially Raphael, that was for the best. Angels were not exactly known for being patient in their solutions to problems. 

Ironic considering patience was a virtue.

Solomon sighed. He looked up at the brightly lit sky and the rainbow behind the Holy Castle. “At least the rains are blessing Africa.”

* * *

They were gathered at a small dining room table. The two angels were seated across from him and she was on his left side. Luke had gone overboard with the pastries. There were slices of spongy strawberry shortcake, apple cream tart, and cups of chocolate mousse. 

Simeon had prepared tea, a rooibos. The tea is incredibly smooth, with a natural sweetness and slightly nutty taste. It pairs very nicely with the sugary sweets Luke has brought to the table. The warm, woody notes rising from his tea cup make Solomon think it’s a brew Barbatos would’ve absolutely approved of. 

“I came up with the recipe myself!” Luke said, happily putting a slice of apple cream tart on a little serving plate and sliding it in front of her. “Even Michael said it was good! Go on, try one!”

“You really haven’t changed a bit, have you Luke?” Solomon commented. It was good to see his former dorm-mate. 

“Well, Luke has always been fond of baking. But since we got back from the Devildom, he’s gotten more and more into it.” Simeon replied. 

“I’m jealous of you, Simeon. You get to eat everything he makes.” Solomon said, giving the older angel a quick wink. Simeon had constantly complained about their dietary habits back in the Devildom. Sweets alone did not make up the food pyramid. 

“Well, having to eat five pieces of cake in a single day isn’t as easy as you might imagine...Though Beel would probably have no problem handling that much.” Simeon replied.

“If you’re going to complain, then I’m not giving you any of this, Simeon!” Luke stated, sliding a slice over to Solomon. 

“Sorry Luke. I take back what I said. I’d like some, please.” Simeon replied, shaking his head slightly. Solomon chuckled, some things really never changed.

“It really is delicious,” she complimented.

Luke stopped glaring at Simeon long enough to return to cutting slices of tart. “Oh I forgot to mention, but Michael actually mentioned that he was hoping to meet you both today.” Luke suddenly piped up, looking across the table at them both.

Solomon paused, hiding his thoughts behind his tea cup. That’s unusual. It’s a rather big deal for Michael to take any interest in humans. The last time he had, Solomon had been given a ring after all. Not just any ring, but one of immense power.

Then the thoughts caught up to him again. Hadn’t Simeon mentioned Michael was looking into a dried up spring? 

“I was hoping I could meet him too,” she smiled politely. Solomon turned to take in her expression. Perhaps Lucifer had been right, perhaps she felt no fear. Or, she had already met and gotten along well with Lord Diavolo, so what was one more acting ruler of a realm to her.

Solomon smiled. He had not had her confidence when he had met Michael for the first time. 

“Yep! I thought so! I mean, he’s _the_ Michael, after all. Who wouldn’t want to meet him?!” Luke replied eagerly.

“So is Michael around today? Also, do you think he’d mind if I called him ‘Mike’?” Solomon asked, playing along. 

Luke’s cheeks went red. “No! You may absolutely not call him ‘Mike’! Don’t even ask him that! He’s far too important!” 

Solomon laughed. For all the maturing he had done over the year, it was still so easy to get Luke flustered. It was still entertaining to get a rise out of him.

“Lucifer makes him sound like a regular angel,” she said.

“Well, Lucifer and Michael were originally equals, after all. Lucifer was the only other angel who had that sort of status.” Simeon replied. “They were essentially the two great leaders of the Celestial Realm’s legions of angels.” 

He paused, making eye contact with Solomon before he continued. “Anyway, I was actually hoping to introduce you two to Michael today, but I’m afraid that won’t be possible. You see, this morning we suddenly received word that a sacred spring in the eastern part of the realm is starting to dry out. Michael rushed off to investigate the problem as soon as the report came in, so he’s not here today.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. What would cause it to dry up so suddenly?” she asked.

“Ah, a sacred spring, huh…” Solomon said, feigning confusion. 

“It really is a shame. If Michael were here, I’m sure he’d tell you all sorts of stories about what Lucifer was like as an angel.” Simeon sighed. Clearly trying to get away from the topic of the spring. Solomon appreciated the effort. 

“You can just tell me instead, Simeon.” she replied with a teasing smile.

“Me? Uh...no. If Lucifer found out, there’s no telling what he’d do to me.” Simeon replied, shaking his head. As if Simeon wasn’t at one point a seraphim too.

“You know, it’s almost hard to believe this is really happening.” Luke said between bites of tart. “I mean, the idea that you two are actually here in the Celestial Realm talking with us. Wow.”

Solomon had to agree. It is incredibly rare for living humans to step foot within the realm. He doubted that any had stepped foot in the realm since Luke's creation.

“You should totally come visit the human world!” she replied. “I can show you around my home city! There's this really nice coffee shop that I'm sure you'd like. It would be a lot of fun!” 

“Well, first they have to go back to the Devildom, right?” Solomon quickly said. At both of their confused faces he continued. “Hold on, do you mean to say you haven’t heard the news?” 

“News? What news?” Luke asked, looking between him and Simeon.

“Ah yes, I was just getting to that. Actually --” Simeon began, his eyes flicking away from Luke to stare at Solomon again.

“You and Luke are scheduled to head back to the Devildom, as part of a short-term program to observe how things work there, right?” Solomon offered, coming to Simeon’s rescue.

“WHAT?” Luke shouted in surprise. His hands hit the table and looking at Simeon he asked, “What do you mean we’re going back to the Devildom?!”

Solomon smiled as Simeon began to explain. It was a good enough opening for him to begin explaining the plans they had only just worked out a few hours prior to this visit. 

He looked over to his left, to catch her expression as she took in the scene with the angels. Perhaps he should’ve been surprised that instead of catching a glimpse of her looking at them, she was looking at him. 

As their eyes met, she quickly looked away. A tiny touch of color rising to her cheeks. Solomon’s grin only grew.

* * *

“Ugh!” This is what drives me crazy about you, Simeon! Why didn’t you tell me about this?!” Luke continued to bemoan as they walked back up the path they’d come from.

“Ahaha sorry…” Simeon replied. “Michael, Diavolo, and I have already talked it over and ironed out all the details. I’d planned not to tell you until we were getting close to the departure date, Luke. I wanted to spring it on you as a fun surprise.”

“But then you ended up forgetting to tell him about it at all, didn’t you?” Solomon added, playing along as Simeon had asked of him. 

“So you knew about this too, Solomon?” Luke fumed.

“Yeah. Simeon told me.” Solomon replied.

“What?” Luke turned his eyes towards her. “Were the only ones who didn’t know?!” 

“Now now, Luke. Don’t get upset.” Simeon sighed. 

“Don’t get upset?! Whose fault is it that I’m upset?” Luke grumbled.

As entertaining as the sight was, they had returned to where Barbatos’ doorway stood. Still waiting and ready for their return trip.

“Well,” Solomon began, catching everyone’s attention. “It’s been a lot of fun, but it’s getting late and we’re needed back in the Devildom.” 

“Wait, you’re going back too?” Luke asked, turning back to her again.

She smiled lightly. “I’m only going back to say good-bye again. I promised I wouldn’t just head back to the human realm from here without telling the brothers good-bye.” 

Now it was Solomon’s turn to tell a little white lie. “You mean they forgot to tell you too?” 

Her head quickly turned in his direction. She blinked at him, clearly confused. “What?”

“I would’ve thought that Lucifer would be responsible and tell you that you’ve been invited back for another semester at RAD.” Solomon said, shaking his head in false disappointment. 

“He didn’t.” she replied. To her credit, she put it together rather quickly. Her brow scrunched downward. “You said this was originally a day trip, Solomon.”

Solomon chuckled, keeping the mood light and playful. “I did! And look at how quickly it’s turned into a longer trip!”

“As much as I’d love to, I can’t just do another semester at RAD. I have a job back home. And my cat! I can’t just leave my cat!”

“You worry too much. Your cat is coming!” Solomon replied. To his credit, he kept his smile as he noticed the edges of the grass under her feet begin to turn a soft brown. A color he’s sure the Celestial Realm’s grass has never been. 

This was an unexpected surprise. He didn’t expect to see her magic react with his own eyes like this. From the way she stood and looked at him, it was clear she wasn’t even aware she was doing it. 

Fascinating. 

Even more so, he felt nothing radiating out of her. No magical aura. Not even Luke or Simeon seemed to notice yet. 

It was time to go before they did. “Hey, it’s getting late. Come on, time to head back to the Devildom and we can discuss this with Lord Diavolo.” Solomon offered. 

She shook her head slightly, mimicking Simeon from earlier. She sighed, though it was lighthearted. “Between the two of you, I don’t know who the bigger trouble maker is.”

Solomon only laughed and offered her his arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little dialogue heavy, but it's such a short trip in-game. I wanted to highlight some of Solomon's interactions with the other characters. And it was a good opportunity to have him interact and observe our MC.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the interest with these beginning chapters. Kudos and Comments are always appreciated! ♥


	5. Familiars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the human realm to pick up a cat turns into some alone time with Asmodeus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Optional NSFW chapter. If you don't enjoy that content please skip to the bottom notes. Nothing of value will be missed.
> 
> Warnings: Asmo/Solomon. Tails, Frottage, Blowjobs.

Her apartment is simple: a small one bedroom, one bath. An upgrade from the studio she was renting before her year in the Devildom, according to Asmodeus.

Solomon didn’t even have to break in, he’d been given a key. He was here for her cat. While he could’ve sent any of his pacts - or hers - to retrieve the feline, he could admit to curiosity about where she lived. He had also promised he would take care of it, and he was being true to his word.

“It’s not a bad little place,” Asmodeus mused, trailing a finger along one of her bookshelves as he looked around the living room. It wasn’t a penthouse or anything Asmodeus usually took pleasure in on his escapades to this realm. It was hardly anything he would’ve wanted a mistress of his to live in either; but it was clean and adequate. The view from the window wasn’t that bad either, it overlooked a park in the middle of the urban streets. In cities such as this there were always worse.

Her cat, Salem, turned out to be a handsome looking tabby. Solomon had gotten quite a kick at the name.

The cat was friendly enough, though appropriately cautious. He kept his distance from Asmodeus completely, and gave a curious sniff at Solomon’s outstretched hand. 

A normal house cat as far as Solomon could sense. Perhaps, as she progressed through her training, the feline would become her familiar. Witches were not the only ones who chose to take on familiars, many sorcerers and wizards did as well for all sorts of reasons. Their aid is invaluable in many areas of the arcane.

Solomon found the carrier in the closet, where she’d said it would be. There was a slight thud and Solomon looked up to see Asmodus sprawled out over her couch. “We’re supposed to be getting her things,” Solomon chided. 

“You are, darling. I’m here to make sure you don’t snoop.” Asmo replied.

Solomon clicked his tongue against his teeth. “If you were sent here alone, you’d be guilty of doing just that.” 

“Guilty as charged,” came Asmodeus’ quick response. He watched Salem’s quiet inspection of the visitors and chuckled. “Satan of course is over the moon about her cat coming to live in the house. Lucifer, however, isn’t so thrilled.”

Another bonus for the Avatar of Wrath, Solomon was sure. 

“And your opinion on the matter?” Solomon asked.

Asmo wrinkled his nose a bit. “So long as he doesn’t end up in my room, I’m fine with it.”

“Not a fan of his claws making pulls in your sheets?” Solomon asked as he headed into the kitchen. She said she kept the food in one of the cabinets.

“I’m not a fan of the way they watch,” Asmo admitted. “They’re far more judgmental than they have any right to be.”

Solomon chuckled. He found the stack of a dozen cans of wet food and dumped them unceremoniously into a bag. The spell upon it negated all weight and size limitations. He dumped more supplies into the bag as he walked around the apartment.

“You know, it’s been awhile since it’s just been the two of us,” Asmodeus said from his spot on the couch. Solomon knew that tone very well and exactly what it usually led to. He couldn’t deny the way it made anticipation settle deep in his gut.

“We’re here to get her cat and some necessities, Asmo.” Solomon replied. 

“Yes, and we are. But do we need to limit ourselves to only that?” Asmodeus replied. 

A light pink glow was beginning to overtake Asmodeus’ eyes. Though Solomon had better restraint and plenty of experience around Asmodeus’ charms, he was not entirely immune. He felt the stirrings in him begin. Starting from his pact mark the sensation of heat spread across his skin, and he felt himself twitch in his pants. 

“What has you so needy today?” Solomon asked, a last attempt at diverting where he was sure they were heading. 

“I always am for your attention,” Asmodeus replied. “I just feel that our opportunities for alone time are going to be rather limited with you living in Purgatory Hall again.” 

“My time in the dorm didn’t stop us before,” Solomon replied. It was one of his poorer excuses. He’d summoned Asmodeus over to his dorm room several times throughout the previous year. 

Asmo pouted. “No, but the chihuahua did interrupt us enough too. Here, no one will be interrupting us.” The glow in his eyes flared just a little brighter.

There, Asmodeus did have a point. Luke and his innocence did occasionally come with terrible timing.

He could’ve said no. He was still in control. Instead, he chose to situate himself on Asmo’s thigh. “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Solomon shook his head in mock scolding. “On her couch, really? What will your mistress think?”

“Nothing unless you volunteer the information yourself,” Asmodeus replied. “What she doesn't know won’t hurt.” 

Asmodeus leaned in for another kiss. His hand reached to the back of Solomon’s head, holding him close and unwilling it to be quick. 

Solomon felt Asmo’s tongue brush against his bottom lip, seeking entrance. He was not in a mood to deny Asmodeus this afternoon, and so he parted his lips for him. As Asmo’s tongue darted into his mouth, Solomon felt the flood of Asmodeus’ magic pour into him through the kiss, hot and soft. Far stronger than it had been through the pact mark. 

When their lips finally parted, Asmodeus whispered, “I’ll be sure to clean up the mess.” Solomon humed in between light gasping breaths. It wasn’t often Asmodeus made that offer.

So he relented, moving his arms down to find purchase on Asmodeus’ waist. Asmodeus giggled, deep in his chest, knowing he’d won, and leaned in to claim Solomon’s lips again. It was then that Solomon felt the ripple of magic as Asmodeus dropped his human glamour; two pairs of bat-like wings, horns, and tail in full display. 

He also felt the annoying golden scorpion wrapped around Asmo’s torso between them. But as Asmodeus had yet to command the familiar to move, Solomon busied himself with feeling up Asmo’s tail. His right hand left it’s place on Asmo’s hip to do so, his left remained snug in the dip of his hip.

Solomon did not stop himself from smirking when he heard Asmo’s sharp inhale. 

Solomon’s fingers traced every inch of the sensitive appendage. Solomon ground his hips, seeking just the right amount of friction for himself against Asmo’s thigh. As he moved, his fingers slid along the length of his tail, caressing every curve and ridge until they found the tip, tracing the spade shape of it. As he did, he watched as Asmodeus squeezed the couch arm hard. 

Solomon only smirked wider at the response, grinding a little harder too. Long familiar with Asmodeus, he knew the sensations of playing with his tail went straight to his cock. He knew Asmodeus was likely aching in his pants as his thumb flicked over the point of the spade. He knew he could make him come undone from this alone. 

Solomon watched as Asmodeus’ back arched and he gasped weakly as Solomon squeezed just below the tip of his tail. That’s the spot.

“I didn’t realize we weren’t playing fair,” Asmodeus managed to say, swallowing thickly. A pink flush already growing on his cheeks. 

“When do you ever?” Solomon asked in turn. “This was your idea and you’re making me do all the work so far.”

“And you called me needy,” Asmo countered.

“You’re in too many clothes, want to do something about that? Or are we doing this fully clothed?” Solomon asked.

Asmodeus brought his hand away from Solomon’s shoulder to touch the golden scorpion. It sprung to life instantly. The unnaturally long tail unfurled from his torso and the sight sent a shiver up Solomon’s spine; he still wasn’t fond of the small creature. Too many legs. He listened as Asmo rumbled something low in Infernal at the familiar, and then it’s golden form skittered off the couch to busy itself elsewhere. 

It took Solomon seconds to get his hands under the sheer black fabric of Asmo’s top, to feel the soft skin of his chest glide underneath his fingertips. It took him another few seconds to undo the buttons of it, easier than trying to pull it over his head. Even if he managed to not catch it on Asmo’s horns, his wings were another issue entirely. 

He felt Asmo’s fingers slide his cloak back, taking his sleeves out from over his shoulders. He paused undressing Asmo long enough to let it fall out of his arms and off his back, pooling onto the floor in front of the couch. He grabbed the hem of his own shirt and pulled it over his head and tossed it behind him too. 

Asmodeus shifted their positions, laying flat on the couch with Solomon straddling him. His knees were braced behind Solomon’s back. 

Solomon looked down into Asmodeus’ lightly glowing eyes and realized just how hard he currently was from really so little. But that was Asmodeus’ magic at work, warm under his skin.

Asmodeus undid his fly, slipped his pants and briefs low enough to get access to his cock, then slid back along the length of the couch. Solomon felt the knees supporting him leave his back, but he stayed upright on his knees. He felt Asmodeus’ breath along his length first before his tongue took a long swipe along the underside of his cock. Solomon leaned his head back and moaned. 

Asmodeus went to work sucking him off, his fingers digging into the backs of Solomon’s thighs. Solomon licked down the length of his palm and reached behind him. Without sinking his weight down on his knees, ruining Asmo’s angle; Solomon leaned backwards, bending his spine almost uncomfortably, until his hand slid under Asmo’s waistline. The Avatar of Lust’s cock was hard and leaking too, and Solomon’s hand went to work as Asmo’s tongue swirled around his dick. 

He felt one of Asmo’s wings come over his lower back, bracing him as he pumped Asmo’s dick in his hand. Then he felt Asmo’s tail begin to trace patterns on his chest. Asmodeus always knew the best way to put the appendages to work.

From there it did not take long. As he got closer, Asmodeus picked up his pace until Solomon came with a jerk of his hips and a curse long lost to human tongues. As Asmodeus was swallowing around him, he found his release and Solomon felt the warm droplets on his back. 

They stayed frozen for a moment, panting and flushed on the couch. Asmo came back to himself first, letting out a low, pleased hum in the back of his throat. His fingertips traced a line up and down the backs of Solomon’s thighs. His touch, though feather light, sent little zaps of energy across his skin. 

As they remained on the couch, the cat ran into their sights. He was chasing the long, golden scorpion across the living room. The little golden creature slid under the coffee table for cover and the cat skidded to a halt where it disappeared, tail swishing, as it got down low to look. It batted it’s paws underneath, trying to swipe at the scorpion. 

As Salem could not reach it, the cat looked up at the two of them on the couch and meowed. It sounded like a disapproving complaint. Asmodeus, still level with Solomon’s cock, made a little noise of disapproval at the back of his throat as he stared at the cat.

Solomon only laughed at the ridiculousness of it. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up. We still have things to do today.”

Asmo huffed a little as Solomon moved to get off of him. “And here I thought I’d keep you for the rest of the afternoon.”

Solomon adjusted his pants so that it was no longer uncomfortable to walk. “You’re insatiable,” Solomon chided lightly. “Now come on. I do recall someone promising to do the clean up?”

Asmo pouted only slightly as he sat up from his place on the couch. “Fine," he said lightly, then grumbled, "spoil sport.”

“We have things we need to do today,” Solomon reminded him. “But if we finish at a reasonable hour, I’ll offer round two back in my room.” 

Asmodeus snaked his arms around Solomon’s torso. The same feather light touches gliding across his chest, while Asmo pressed his face in the space between Solomon’s shoulder blades. He hummed, then his touch fell away from Solomon’s body completely. 

“Fine. But I’m holding you to that.”

The smile Solomon gave him was genuine. “Let’s go get cleaned up. I have promises to keep today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot Summary: 
> 
> Solomon and Asmodeus go to the human realm to pick up MC’s cat, Salem. He’s a tabby.  
> While there, Solomon and Asmodeus get intimate on her couch. 
> 
> Salem has fun chasing Asmo’s scorpion familiar under the coffee table.  
> -  
> -  
> -  
> Sorry not sorry about the shameless smut. But what’s a Solomon story without including his relationship to Asmo? Honestly, not enough people show off the relationship between the two and it’s a crying shame.  
> -  
> -  
> -  
> Also, as this story progresses I was wondering if I should name the MC in this fic. I have a very brief (anonymous) survey if you'd like to weigh in. I'd really appreciate it! 
> 
> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3MKLP8V


	6. Smiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon happens to have potions class with her.

The class had another twenty five minutes to go. Cauldrons were bubbling, fires were crackling, and the mixture of smells wafting in the room left much to be desired. 

Potions were such finicky things. Delicate in some cases and forgiving in others. Their first day back at RAD as students and today’s lesson was not one with flexible ingredients or methods. A simple Potion of Vitality - a healing potion - was the class’s assignment today. Though “simple” is rather relative. It's one of those potions best left to experts, since any number of little mistakes could turn it into a common poison instead.

Demons healed rapidly on their own in comparison to humans. But still, the usefulness of healing potions found their way to the Devildom mainly as a means of prolonging torture instead of easing pain. The irony of a human world potion being the bane of mortals who ended up in the realm is not lost on Solomon. 

Solomon stirred the contents of his cauldron counter clockwise. Finished, he tapped the metal spoon on the lid, lowered the flame, and waited for it to simmer for the required amount of time. Though he was not the inventor of this particular brew, this was a potion he was long familiar with and could probably make in his sleep.

Across the table from him, however, she was obsessively comparing her textbook to whatever was happening in her cauldron. If he had to guess, by the way her brow was scrunched up, it wasn’t going well.

Though Solomon didn’t have to guess. He’d seen the fire beetles she’s crushed before adding to the mixture. An unfortunate and common mistake, they were so easy to confuse for june beetles. 

“Having trouble over there?” Solomon asked, finally taking pity.

She grimaced slightly. “I have no idea how I managed to screw this up so badly. It looks nothing like it’s supposed to.” 

‘Wrong ingredients will do that,’ Solomon thought but did not say. “Sometimes you’re better off starting over from scratch than trying to fix a brew.” 

She looked up at the clock on the wall and made a displeased hum in the back of her throat. “A little late for that, I’m afraid.” 

Solomon chuckled, his wide smile settling on his features again. That was something one laughed at, right? 

Eventually the instructor came to their table. They dipped litmus test strips into their two cauldrons and held them up against the key. “Perfect as usual, Solomon,” their gravely voice rasped. Their tiny mandibles clicked against their teeth, their human glamour either relaxed or too weak to hide the features. Then, in a slightly more condescending tone, they turned their multitude of eyes upon her and said, “Needs work, human. Mind your ingredients.” 

She sheepishly looked down into her cauldron, avoiding Professor Ōgumo’s multitude of eyes. 

For the last few minutes of class they cleaned their workstation up. The contents of her cauldron ended up down the drain, whereas Solomon took the time to bottle his. A healing potion is always useful to have on hand after all.

He joined her at the sinks in the back of the class. She was scrubbing her cauldron with a bit more ferocity than he expected of her. “Elbow grease alone isn’t going to get that out if it burned on the bottom.” He offered. They had vials of base and acid by the sinks for that exact purpose. 

She paused before resuming her task. “It didn’t burn, I’m just trying to figure out which ingredient I apparently screwed up.” 

Though Solomon knew the answer, he was curious if she would come to the right conclusion on her own. They didn’t share any classes the previous year, thus Solomon wondered how she approached learning matters of the arcane. 

“You’re sure it was one of your ingredients? A potion like this has a delicate brewing process too. You could’ve stirred it one too many times clockwise before changing direction.” 

She shook her head slightly. “Professor Ōgumo specifically mentioned my ingredients.” 

“And you think he’s right?” Solomon asked, ignoring the other student in the sink next to him dumping out their cauldron. It stank of rot with a burnt undertone. Clearly she was not the only one in the class to use the wrong ingredients. The failed potion stung the back of his nose as he breathed. 

“He literally has eyes on the back of his head. He sees everything in this class.” she replied. She wrinkled her nose, but kept scrubbing her own cauldron. 

Solomon gave a light chuckle. She had a point there. “So, any ideas what ingredient it was?” 

She gave a small shrug. “It could’ve been any or all of them. It’s a little harder to get the right ingredients from the supply cupboard when all the labels are in Infernal.” Solomon nodded, she had a point there. “But if I have to guess at a singular ingredient, my money is on the nettles. Dried leaves are much harder to identify as opposed to the fresh ones.” 

In that she had a point too. But Solomon had noticed that she had pulled the correct plant ingredients today. Hmmm, was she perhaps inclined towards earth magic? If her elemental alignment leaned towards earth more, that might explain some of the phenomena her magic was manifesting. If that’s the case, then perhaps he should be thankful she’s not inclined to the element of fire. 

It might explain why the grass wilted under her feet in the Celestial Realm when she was annoyed. He blinked, was annoyed the correct feeling he’d seen? It was always easier to identify in demons than people.

Regardless, it’s something to keep in mind. Or at least, something to add to his test.

He would give her a hint about the class’ potion though, “From what I saw of your work station, it looked like you chose all your plants correctly.” 

“The stupid beetles then.” She didn’t miss a beat. “Figures, it’s always the stupid beetles.” 

Solomon laughed, perhaps a bit louder than he should’ve considering the looks that were shot in their direction. “You’re not a fan?” 

She shook her head, a smile on her own lips. “Of neither the insects nor the band.” 

“A shame. You know scarabs have been worshipped among people throughout our realm’s history.” Solomon offered.

She made a face, scrunching her features up briefly. “I do question the merits of worshipping a bug that walks on a ball of its own dung.” 

Solomon only laughed again in response. She at least seemed to laugh with him. It was better than the stares that most people returned his laughter with.

“By the way, are you busy after class today?” Solomon asked. 

“I’ve been asked to sit in on a student council meeting, but otherwise I’m free.” she replied. 

Perfect. “Would you mind doing a small test with me then?” 

She dumped the soapy mixture from her cauldron and began to rinse it once more. “What kind of test?” 

“Nothing overly involved. It’s a common arcane aptitude test,” he explained. “You haven’t been tested here yet, have you?” He asked, though he already knew the answer. Lord Diavolo was tasking him with this. If he had to guess why, he assumed it had to do with Solomon being more familiar with magic manifesting in humans. 

“No,” she admitted. She poured the rinsing water out and inspected her cauldron for remaining suds. “I’m pretty sure I don’t have magic though. I wasn’t able to cast anything in any of my classes at all last year.”

It was true, the year prior her grades in the introductory arcane classes had been curved to her understanding of theory instead of her application of actual magic. Solomon knew that would not be the case for long this semester.

The current theory is that her magic is a subconscious reaction to her emotions. He’d love to see what that looked like in the common tests done in their realm. Furthermore, how her heritage might influence it too. 

Would she lean towards Celestial or Infernal magic? Solomon could not deny that he was eager to see how she would compare to his baselines.

Satisfied with her job, she shook the excess water out of the cauldron and moved to put it on the drying rack next to the sinks. Solomon quickly did the same to keep up with her. 

“True, but your classes last year expected you to cast spells like a demon. Magic takes many different forms in humans. You might be inclined to a different form of magic than what they’re teaching here at RAD.” Solomon said as they walked back to their table to grab their things.

He watched as her eyes lit up a bit. “Oh!” 

Solomon smiled, such a simple reaction. Tell a person they might be magical and the range of reactions was vast indeed; from ecstatic to skepticism. Everyone wanted to be special, after all.

Her little exclamation seemed to lean a bit more on the hopeful surprise side though. Solomon understood that. She’d lived immersed in magic for a year, of course she would want to be able to use a piece of it herself. 

“The test isn’t difficult or painful. It’s very straightforward,” Solomon explained as she grabbed her book bag.

“Sure, I’d love to give it a shot. It might be fun, even if I’m not magical.” she replied. The way she shrugged at the end gave him the impression that she wouldn’t be bothered if the results confirmed if she wasn’t inclined toward the arcane. But Solomon saw through it, of course she would be disappointed if she wasn’t. That was only natural. 

He held his grin, unwilling to let her know that he knew at least part of the outcome. “Perfect, I’ll meet you in the student council chamber after class and we can run the test after the meeting.”

“I look forward to it!” she said, flashing him a quick smile as they walked out of the class and into the busy hallway. “I’ll see you later then,” she said before she walked over to Mammon. Her guardian demon was leaning against the wall, waiting to escort her to her next class. 

Mammon had been her main protector the year previous, it was only natural that he was the one escorting her between classes. Solomon knew this logically. Yet, as he watched the smile spread over her face - the same one she had given to Luke in the sunshine of the Celestial Realm - a rather unpleasant feeling settled in his chest. A feeling that only deepened as he watched Mammon hold her hand and lead her down the hallway. 

Solomon paused to watch. Unsure of the feeling taking root in his chest, he tried to think. Jealousy? No, why would he be jealous? Of handholding, of all things? No. 

Was it her closeness to Mammon? Unlikely. He had no desire for a pact with the Avatar of Greed either. Though it appeared that her relationship with the Second-born Lord of the Devildom closely matched the one he had with Asmodeus.

He turned and walked down the hallway in the opposite direction. As he walked, the thought struck him: was it her smile?

He realized, suddenly then, that the smiles she gave to him were not the same as the ones she gave to others. To him, all of her smiles had been fleeting and surface level. 

Solomon blinked in confusion. Why did he care?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Ōgumo means “giant spider” and is the name for a race of spider-like yōkai in Japanese folklore.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer the survey last chapter. MC will remain unnamed in this fic! 
> 
> Also thank you to everyone who has left comments and kudos! They're the highlight of my day!


	7. Theory / Practice

Solomon knew where the student council chamber happened to be on campus, though it wasn’t a room he often visited. He had been free to walk about the campus of RAD the previous year, his pacts and magical skill were enough to keep lower demons from threatening his safety. 

On the other hand, he knew that she had spent many an afternoon in the room the previous year. She had to wait to be escorted around, as well as to and from campus, by her housemates. Which meant that she usually had to sit-in on meetings. 

Solomon checked his watch as he walked down the hallway. He was sure the meeting was probably done for the day, unless something new and chaotic had come up. A very real possibility, but Lucifer was usually good at keeping his family wrangled to their timeframe when it came to Lord Diavolo’s time. 

So it was about time for Solomon to meet with her. He could imagine their faces now as he swooped in to take her off their hands. That would be fun to see. But upon reaching the open double doors of the student council chamber, he noticed the room was empty. 

Save for one demon: Lucifer. The Avatar of Pride was in his chair, furiously writing up some document.

Solomon’s sudden intrusion, and subsequent confusion, did not go unnoticed either. 

“Ah, Solomon,” Lucifer said, not even looking up from his writing. “I’m afraid you’ve just missed Asmodeus.”

“I was actually looking for your mistress,” Solomon replied. That caused Lucifer to look up from his paperwork. He looked down at Solomon from his elevated position. Solomon blinked back, seemingly unbothered.

“And what would you want with her?” Lucifer asked.

“We made plans to meet after class, but she said she had one of your council meetings to attend first.” Solomon replied. He owed the demon no further explanation. Perhaps he would see just how much their relationship had changed in such a short period of time. 

He was relatively certain that Lucifer hadn’t been to the human realm to visit her in the month between the program’s end. He of course knew that he had entered into a pact with her, but how exactly had that changed their relationship? Solomon was curious to know.

Red eyes narrowed down at Solomon. “I will be frank. You and my brother have had a long, tumultuous relationship that I have been content to let him handle as he sees fit. I will not, however, allow you to drag her into whatever schemes you have cooked up, Solomon.” There was no ambiguity in how he felt about the sorcerer in the way he grit out the name.

“It’s not very nice to assume I’m scheming all the time.”

“Are you saying you don’t?” 

Solomon knew better than to lie to the Avatar of Pride. So he answered the question with one of his own. “I doubt you’re as protective of all your pact-holders. What makes her so different?” He smiled, his tone carefully playful. 

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed. “You know nothing of which you speak.” Interesting, had he struck a nerve? “I don’t know what brought you back to the Devildom, or what possessed you to bring her with you; but I’m telling you now to leave her out of it.” 

Lucifer’s eyes flared red and the candles in the room flickered. Solomon stood his ground, his poker face holding and looking as though it did not phase him. It was far from the first time he’d been threatened; and this was but a drop in the ocean in the methods that had been employed to get messages across to him throughout the ages. 

Asmodeus could and had done far worse in the past when he was in a foul mood.

“This would be the second time in nearly as many days that you’ve threatened me when it comes to her.” Solomon calmly stated, holding eye contact. He always liked to play with fire. “I wonder when she became so important to you. Was it before or after Belphegor ─” 

“This conversation is done. **Leave**.”

Solomon knew when to hold them and when to fold them. Clearly he’d pushed too far. A pity, but at least Lucifer would not expect him to know more about the incident than he had said. He wanted to keep that ace up his sleeve for at least a while longer. 

He went back out the double doors and into the quiet hallway. He wasn’t surprised when they slammed shut behind him. However, he was now at a loss of where to search for her next. She hadn’t forgotten about their meeting, had she? Or did she simply get swept up with one of the brothers?

Solomon had just pulled out his D.D.D. when he heard her call his name from down the hallway. Looking up, he saw that she was accompanied by Satan.

“There you are. I thought you forgot about me.” 

She shook her head, closing the distance between them as she came up the hall. “I’m sorry I’m late. The meeting ended earlier than we anticipated. I just made a quick stop at the library with Satan before rushing back to meet up with you, but it looks like you beat me here.” 

“Did you stop by for anything interesting?” he asked, genuinely curious.

She shrugged. “Unless you consider a record of what the student council has done for the student fair for the last couple of decades interesting, then no.” 

What an oddly specific thing. “And why would you want to look that up?” 

“Lord Diavolo put me in charge of the student festival committee,” she replied. By the dip in the corners of her mouth, he assumed she wasn’t thrilled with the appointment. “He wants me to do something unique to the human realm.” 

Solomon had to admit, it was a brilliant move. It ensured she was kept under close watch and the prince got to enjoy whatever entertainment she came up with. Two birds, one stone; as they say.

Satan looked towards the double doors of the student council chamber. “What did you do to annoy Lucifer so much?” He sounded intrigued, or perhaps entertained. It was always hard to read past the mask Satan presented.

Solomon ignored his question though. His attention was on her, not the Avatar of Wrath. “You don’t sound too happy with being stuck with the task.”

She looked back at Satan instead. “Are you sure he’s annoyed?”

“Oh, most definitely.” Satan grinned, a gleam in his eyes. Definitely entertained then, Solomon thought and filed that information away.

“Hey,” Solomon whined. He put on his best pout for added measure too. “Don’t ignore me.”

She blinked back at him then shrugged. “Sorry. And, no, I’m fine with it. It’s not the first time I’ve had a job sprung on me like this.” 

Solomon had to admit, she was adaptable. Perhaps more so than regular people these days. Was that why she ended up as the eye of the storm in the chaos that naturally swirled around her. Did it just gravitate towards her, or did it spread out from her? 

Solomon didn’t let the thoughts multiply in his head for too long though. They had other things to be doing than chatting in the middle of the hallway. “So, shall we? And don’t worry, Satan, I’ll get her back to the house safely.” 

“Actually,” Satan said, his hand coming to her waist and pulling himself to stand a bit closer to her side. Already Solomon did not like where things were heading. “I was thinking of tagging along. I’d like to see the results first-hand, if you don’t mind.” 

Oh Solomon very much minded as she smiled up at Satan, that ugly little feeling picking at his chest. But he couldn’t just say so. He did not care what the Avatar of Wrath thought, but upsetting her could cause an issue after all. At least until they figured out exactly what they were dealing with.

While Solomon would’ve preferred to keep the test with her to himself, he could not come up with a good excuse to deny Satan’s observance of it. The Avatar of Wrath is one of her pacts after all, and depending on the results perhaps he will begin the process of training her. That could be an added bonus, he reasoned with himself.

For the second time today, he ignored that unreasonable feeling in his chest. He’d reflect on it later. Right now, he had more important things to focus on.

“I don’t mind at all,” Solomon replied, smiling easily through the lie. “If your mistress wants you to attend, who am I to deny her the company of one of her pacts?” 

She smiled at him at that. It was not shallow like her smiles had been in potions earlier in the day. No, this one reached her eyes and that feeling ebbed away from his chest. Interesting.

With the issue of who was attending settled, Solomon led them out of the building and into the empty courtyard. These kinds of tests were traditionally done in open spaces. Though usually they would also be done in the human realm instead of the Devildom too. 

Solomon took a seat in the grass and gestured for her to sit across from him. She did, crossing her legs and watching with interest as he began to pull objects out of his bag. Satan sat just off to the side of her. Perhaps a bit closer than Solomon would’ve preferred, but he held his tongue.

“Ready to start?” Solomon asked once an array of small objects were on the grass between them. They were simple things: a small silver bowl, a white candle stick, a pinwheel, a dead flower, and a clear crystal. 

“Yes,” she agreed easily. Though she looked at the assortment of items with skepticism. 

“Good. Hold out your hand,” Solomon stated. He dropped the small clear crystal into her open palm when she did. It was a simple piece of polished quartz. “Good, stay like that and I want you to think of how you feel when you’ve attempted to cast spells in the past.” 

He watched her close her eyes. Her brow dipped a tiny bit as she focused. She sat there for a moment and Solomon saw that Satan was staring intently at her. Was it just simple curiosity? Or was he hoping for her to have a connection to the arcane as well?

What did her pacts want, he wondered.

It took a few heartbeats more than he expected, but a tiny white glow began to emanate from the crystal. White, he thought to himself with only a little disappointment. He had expected, or hoped, for a color.

But he knew that not all things could be so easy. Her magic is an enigma, solving it only part of the fun after all.

“Well done!” Solomon said, grinning easily at her. He nearly laughed when she opened her eyes and blinked at the light in complete confusion. There was clear disbelief on her face. She hadn’t expected it; she truly believed his tests would show nothing. Excellent.

Before that emotion could settle deeper in her, Solomon reached out and took the crystal. He didn’t want anything else to imprint upon the stone. The light of it died the moment he touched it. Perfect. 

“So, now we know for sure that you have the potential for magical ability.” Solomon stated as he put the crystal away, safely dropping it in his bag. There would be time for him to examine the signature she left in it later. 

Of the items he had pulled out of his bag earlier, he took the small silver bowl and placed it in front of her on the ground. 

It was time for her elemental test. All humans tended to lean more towards one element than the others. It rarely, if ever, limited one’s ability to cast a spell or excel in a particular area of the arcane; but it was still worth knowing. Though he suspected earth to be hers, he decided not to start with that element.

“Put your fingertips on the rim of it and think of that feeling again.” Solomon instructed. She did, with a child-like eagerness. It nearly made Solomon laugh how quickly she moved from skepticism to delighted curiosity. He had to admit, her newfound sense of wonder in the face of magic within her was refreshing. It had been...well, Solomon couldn’t recall the last time he’d done this kind of testing on someone.

How had…, no. Solomon stopped himself from dwelling on that. It did not do to think of how his last apprentice responded. He needed to focus on this moment: on her and how she was responding.

The three of them sat there for a moment, waiting for something to happen with the bowl. Nothing did.

When enough time had passed for him to be sure nothing would happen, Solomon called this test. “It seems water is not your element,” Solomon said as he took the bowl back. He knew that once she was trained, she’d be able to manifest the water in the bowl. It was a simple conjuration spell enchanted on the bowl itself. However, that was not the point of an aptitude test. This was meant to test what direction her magic naturally leaned towards. 

He handed her the candle next, instructing her to do the same thing. Hold it and think on that feeling she’d focused on to conjure the light in the crystal. She did and once again, there was nothing. The candle did not light; fire was not her element. 

He handed her the pinwheel next. The same result, nothing. 

Though she was hiding it well, Solomon saw that she was beginning to grow disappointed with each failure. Perhaps she thought the little light she’d manifested in the stone was a fluke. 

Solomon then handed her the dead flower; statice to be precise. A sea lavender with dozens of papery flowers. The petals of which had turned a mostly brown color and shrunk in as they died. The stem was stiff and dry as well.

He put the stem between her fingers. “One more time, think about that feeling.” he instructed. He watched with rapt attention. Had he guessed correctly?

A moment passed, still nothing. Solomon watched and, as the moment stretched on, could admit his own confusion. This should’ve worked for her, it should’ve come to her quickly and easily actually. If she couldn’t manifest this either, was she instead perfectly balanced between the elements? That would be unusual for sure. Though “unusual” seemed to fit her quite well.

Just as he was about to call this test, it happened. Slowly, rising up from her fingertips, the color returned to the plant; vibrant and purple as life flowed back into it. He expected perhaps a few buds of the little plant to react, but not the whole cluster. He watched as the leaves uncrinkled and returned to their healthy green as well.

Earth was definitely her element.

Beside her, Satan gave a light, little applause. She beamed at him. That smile returning to her lips. 

“Well done,” Solomon said, quickly calling her attention back to him. The full radiant smile fell from her features as she looked back at him. “You have potential and you gravitate naturally towards the element of earth. It’s a good enough spot to start for dipping your toes into learning matters of the arcane.” 

“This is really exciting! Thank you!” she beamed. Her smile, the one like sunshine, suddenly turned towards him. 

Solomon found he suddenly needed to clear his throat. “It was nothing. I’m happy to get you started on the path to learning magic.” 

Why hadn’t he done this the previous year? It took nearly no time at all and was so little effort.

“Indeed,” Satan said, standing and offering his hand to her. “While I’m surprised you were the first to think to do this, I am happy you did, Solomon. We have many books in the library at home to start with. We could try some simple earth related spells tonight if you’d like.” He helped her to stand, pulling her to her feet.

“Sure! That sounds like fun.” she replied. Then she looked back down to where Solomon still sat in the grass. “Is there anything else?” 

There was, but for now this was enough. He would examine her magical signature in the crystal before suggesting anything else. Instead he smiled and shook his head at her, “No, that’s it. Like I told you, it was a very simple test.”

“Thank you again! I really appreciate it, Solomon,” she said before she turned away. Solomon watched her go, walking and talking excitedly with Satan.

Before he would think on that ugly feeling itching in his chest again, he scooped the handful of items and dropped them back in his bag. He paused at the flower though, twirling it between his fingers and seeing it still alive. Her connection to earth was strong indeed. Normally, in a test such as this, the plant would wither again once contact with the source of the magic reviving it was removed.

Instead the little cluster of purple flowers looked like they had been freshly cut. Interesting.

Solomon dropped the plant in his bag and then got to his feet. Just as he was about to start walking towards Purgatory Hall, he heard his D.D.D. ring. 

Solomon knew it was bad news as soon as he saw the caller ID. The singular letter “M” stared back at him. “Shit,” he hissed before he tapped the green button to pick up the line. “Hello Michael.”

“Greetings Solomon,” Michael greeted in his familiar baritone. “I apologize that I missed you the other day when you were within the realm, but it seems I need you to make another visit.” 

Solomon stopped on the path. “What’s happened?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Thoughts and comments are always appreciated! Till next time ♥


	8. Lost in the Shuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon gets a call from Michael to come back to the Celestial Realm to inspect the latest catastrophe.

It was rare for him to meet with Michael. It was slightly less rare for him to meet with Michael in such an unpleasant, serious mood. That just seemed to be a feature of the angel’s personality.

Together they walked until they came to the source of the problem. The thing so urgent he had called Solomon away from the Devildom and the tests he had wanted to run. When Michael had told him there had been an earthquake, he had not expected what the devastation on the Celestial Realm would look like.

The area of garden before his sights was once even leveled ground and meticulously cared for as all areas of the realm were. It was probably breathtaking in its beauty. Now it was breathtaking for another reason. It looked as though the ground had ruptured, sinking spots of it to create sudden sharp dips in elevation. Trees were uprooted, leaning in all matter of unnatural directions.

It didn’t look like an earthquake had struck this patch of garden, but that a bomb had detonated below it. The raw power that would’ve been required to do this was nearly unimaginable. The scale of damage alone was unlike anything Solomon had ever seen.

“What has the Prince told you about her?” Michael asked as Solomon took in the sight. Solomon did not miss that the way he said the title was as though it left an odd aftertaste in his mouth.

“I cannot tell you that,” Solomon replied. He did not miss the way that Michael’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “I’m under oath,” he quickly added. 

Michael pursed his lips into a grimace. “Understood. That’s actually a lot more telling than you’d think. It just confirms she is responsible, but doesn’t explain the how.” 

“She’s not aware she’s doing it,” Solomon stated. “That much I’m certain of.”

Had his tiny aptitude test drawn this out of her? How had he not sensed it sitting right there next to her?

He watched as Michael stared ahead, taking in the sight of the upraised dirt where there was probably once a level walking path. “We’re getting to the point where it might not matter. Regardless of her intent, it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening.”

“I would kindly request your patience for a bit longer,” Solomon replied. “I was actually testing her this afternoon before your call. I haven’t yet had the time to examine the results.”

Michael paused and Solomon had to wonder what was going through the angel’s mind. 

“I will give you two months,” Michael stated. He seemed reluctant to name any kind of timetable. “That should be adequate to begin training her to control this. Though I cannot guarantee that time if this continues or if it escalates.”

“I understand,” Solomon replied. 

Michael seemed to hesitate but a moment before he continued. “I would take no pleasure in it; but if she continues to unbalance the three realms, then she will need to be dealt with.”

Solomon sighed, the breath suddenly tight in his chest. “I understand. However, she is only one person” - he could not confidently say human at the moment - “and this does not feel like something only she is responsible for. Perhaps there are other factors we have not yet discovered. It would be wrong to cut her life short if she isn’t even the main party responsible.” 

“That is exactly why. She is only one soul. Her one does not justify the potential danger to all the rest within the three realms.” Michael replied. “Even if there are others, it is looking like she is the main distablizing power at play.” 

Solomon looked ahead at the devastation. He could not argue for something when he didn not have all the information at hand. He would need to talk to Lord Diavolo when he got back. They’ll need to up their timetable it seems. 

“Would you mind if I remained to run a few tests? As this is incredibly recent, perhaps there is a residual energy signature here that will provide some additional insight.” Solomon asked.

“Of course,” Michael replied. “Stay as long as you need. I will instruct the others not to bother you or begin clean up efforts until you are finished.” 

Solomon nodded, bowing his head slightly. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

He watched as Michael turned and left him to his work. Once alone, Solomon let out another long exhale. 

In the warm sunlight, Solomon pulled his wand out of his cloak. The look of the item betrayed its power. The bright yellow star on it was mostly a joke, but Solomon had come to appreciate it; many in the human realm were content to ignore him based on the ridiculousness of appearances. 

Appearances though did not negate that it was still a powerful tool of magic. 

In a steady voice he began to say the ancient incantation. With a long even sweep of his arm, he gestured over the area. A simple dowsing spell to find the point where energy was most concentrated in the area. From his wand poured a stream of silver magic which led him a bit deeper into the destroyed garden. Only the unsteadiness of the ground prevented him from going further. This would have to be enough.

Solomon retrieved another chunk of quartz from his bag, double checking to be sure it was not the one she had used. The stones were absorbent, but could not hold more than one energy signature at a time. If this is entirely her doing, then it should be identical to the signature she left in the other stone.

All magic left traces. In these liminal spaces where the links between the realms are thin, the energies bleed into each other. There’s always a push and pull, as he’d seen with the portals in the human realm. So theoretically, if it is purely her influence, then here where the lines between realms are at their thinnest is the best place to discern her roll in it.

Afterwards, Solomon deposited the second used stone and his wand back in his bag. He could examine it in the comfort of his room later. Instead, he sat down on the flattest piece of dirt he could find.

Of all the schools of magic, Solomon would have to admit that divination is his weakest link. Partly because he has his pact with Barbatos for such issues that require it, thus he had allowed that skillset to atrophy. 

However, he must also admit that he doesn’t put a lot of stock into the fickleness of divination either. As a school of magic dedicated to revealing information, it has gained quite the reputation for attempting to predict the future. A task that’s incredibly difficult under the best circumstances; time and possibility are always in flux after all. Every possibility is subject to change at an instant and with the most inconsistent, unpredictable variables. 

‘The power to cause a hurricane in China to a butterfly flapping its wings in New Mexico,’ he reminded himself. The chaos of it all was always absurd. 

Looking at the dry, cracked dirt around him, he pulled an oversize deck of cards out of his bag. Tarot is easily the trickiest of the divination tools, but sometimes it can be insightful. It’s far clearer in comparison to a pendulum or randomly tossing rune stones. 

His deck is not a traditional Rider-Waite, but something far more modern. Tarot has grown in popularity in the human realm again, with many artists recreating decks. Most are just that, art. However, he knows some witches who have made some decent money for making actual decks, real tools of divination magic when in the right hands. 

Solomon sits in the upturned grass and starts shuffling, steady and thoroughly. It’s not a consistent or reliable device, like the quartz, but he might as well see if it can provide even a sliver of additional insight.

Solomon cuts the deck twice, then stacks them. He starts placing cards. Two overlapping in the center. One above, one below, and one on each side. Then four in a line. He sets the deck to the side.

What is the relationship - the connection - with her?

He starts flipping cards, interpreting as he goes. For the heart of the matter: The Lovers, relationships and choices. He flips the next over it, new feelings and intuition. An interesting and consistent combination.

He flips the next two in rapid succession: the left and then the right. The past: an intuitive woman, a healer and nurturer. The journey: collaboration. He squints at the Queen of Cups, not exactly sure which woman the cards are calling attention to. She is not a replacement for Lilith, but both have become family nurturers of sorts for those under the roof of the House of Lamentation. Or, from what he’s seen of her interactions so far, perhaps she’s become something more to the seven demon lords.

Solomon continues flipping cards. The card below, the underlying issue at hand. Broken communication. He flips the card above, what needs to be overcome. Deception or trickery. He blinks down at the card. Hers? Unlikely. No one has made any comments about her being deceptive. If anything, people warn her about him for such reasons. 

He grimaces. This is why he doesn’t put much stock in these readings. 

He goes down the line and flips the final four. Advice: Apprenticeship and hard work. External influence: heartbreak, betrayal, and deceit. Hopes and fears; Solomon grimaces as he reveals the Tower. Disaster avoided or delayed, or a fear of suffering. Definitely fears, no one hopes for that. Finally the outcome, The Magician stares back at him.

Solomon looks at the spread before him. Taken as a whole, it’s given him nothing he hasn’t already guessed at: she’s coming into her magic and her emotions and relationships are a key driving factor. Potential and improvement are there, which is good. But the Tower showing up in any spread is cause for a least a little concern. If he would take any card as a bad omen, that would be the one.

His finger taps the Eight of Rings twice. Apprenticeship, hadn’t he just had a conversation with Lord Diavolo about that? Perhaps training is the solution. He hopes it will be that easy.

Michael is only giving him two months. Perhaps less if she doesn’t take to her studies fast enough. 

Other than that, the cards aren’t giving him much more, unless he’s made a critical mistake in the interpretation or in the question at hand. Both of which are very real possibilities at the best of times. Even masters of the school of divination have made such errors; and Solomon is not included among them.

He wipes the spread, shuffling loosely before dropping the deck back into the little pouch he carries it in. 

Solomon stands, wiping the dirt off the back of his pants. What an annoyance.

* * *

The chaulk breaks with a snap under his fingers and Solomon curses. He picks up the longer of the broken halves and continues to draw the glyphs on his floorboards. Every now and then his eyes dart over to the diagram in the open book next to him, comparing as he works. 

After double checking everything and being satisfied, he takes the two crystals out of his bag. First, he places the one she used in the center ring of this sigil. He places his hands on both sides of the diagram, just outside the edge of the glyphs. 

In a language he feels rusty speaking, he says the incantation for this identification spell. As he speaks, he watches the small, flickering white light return to the stone. A small echo of her magic that had absorbed into the stone. 

As the light returned to it, Solomon watched as the rings of the circle lit up too. From the inner rings, to the outer rings, and along his carefully written intersecting lines. Until it reached the glyphs on the out edge of the diagram. Only certain ones lit up though. 

Solomon quickly removed his hands from the floor, grabbed the notepad he had waiting, and wrote down which ones were alight before the spell consumed the last of her energy signature. Once everything was over, he began flipping through the pages of the book. He counted the glyphs, then double checked to be sure he was correct. 

If Solomon did not know that the magic had come from her directly, he would not have known the source was human. He frowned down at the results. 

He knows that it’s normal for humans to lean towards either Celestial or Infernal energies. Given how magic was introduced to humankind, that’s not surprising. Afterall, magic in humans is them drawing on either energy source in order to manifest their magic. 

However, all humans - regardless of how they practice magic - have a majority of neutral energy to them. Regardless of whichever direction they naturally lean towards, they will always have more neutral energy to act as a balance within them. 

Looking at the glyphs identified from the tiny echo of her magic, she is split nearly fifty-fifty between Celestial and Infernal. Her energies only marginally favor Celestial. She’s human, but lacking neutral balanced energy within her.

Solomon frowned down at the results. No wonder as her magic awakened she started destabilizing portals in the spaces the realms intersected. She’s drawing upon both sources within her magic. Her internal energies are like trying to force two same-sided magnets together, Solomon realized in mild horror.

Once whatever is holding her together eases up, the magnets will spring apart with force.

He looked back down at the piece of quartz, left in the center of the diagram. To his surprise, he noticed that the once clear stone had darkened. Like tendrils of smoke were suddenly caught within the crystal, her magic had burned out of it during his spell. 

‘Or perhaps worse,’ Solomon thought, ‘if her energies don’t spring apart violently, they might burn out of her.’

He didn’t know which possibility was worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Supplemental**
> 
> *In a normal Celtic Cross spread, The Ace of Cups would be placed over The Lovers. However, because the art on the card is a possible trypophobia (phobia of holes in patterns) trigger, I placed the cards in reverse for the purposes of this image. 
> 
> 1\. Heart of the Matter: The Lovers (Upright)  
> 2: The Challenge: Ace of Cups   
> 3: Underlying Situation: 2 of Cups (Reversed)  
> 4: The Past: Queen of Cups (Upright)   
> 5: Overcome: 7 of Swords (Upright)  
> 6: The Journey: 3 of Rings (Upright)  
> 7: Advice: 8 of Rings (Uright)  
> 8: External Influence: 3 of Swords (Upright)  
> 9: Hopes/Fears: The Tower (Reversed)  
> 10: The Outcome: The Magician (Upright)
> 
> The Maragold Tarot - Amrit Brar  
> https://13thpress.com/products/the-marigold-tarot-classic
> 
> * * *
> 
> My personal headcanon is that Solomon has his pact with Barbatos to get around his own lack of skill with divination magic. Why worry about a gap in skill or knowledge when you can just have a pact to make up for it? However, I still see him being the fun kind of dork who would know tarot and do readings in the human world to possibly troll some people. Here he’s attempting to take it more seriously from a sorcerer's standpoint, but he still doesn’t put a lot of faith in it.
> 
> (Also it's self indulgent on my part as I have a lot of tarot knowledge living rent free inside my brain)
> 
> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos! I greatly appreciate it!


	9. As The Pendulum Swings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation about magic and then a dinner at Purgatory Hall.

Solomon watched as Diavolo’s golden eyes swiped across the page of glyphs again. A more arrogant man might’ve taken the gesture as the demon prince double checking their work for error. A more arrogant man might’ve been annoyed at the implication that his results and work were possibly flawed. 

But Solomon was not, instead he appreciated that Diavolo was taking the time to digest the information he was being presented with. That he clearly respected Solomon’s work on the matter, otherwise why would he bother to give it careful consideration.

“This is…”

“Impossible?” Solomon offered. “Everything about this situation should be impossible. Yet, here we are.” 

Diavolo frowned, putting the papers back down on the table in front of them. “This complicates things.” He rested his elbows on the table, hands coming together as he rested his lips and nose on them. 

“Are our options still the same?” Solomon asked. “Would training her actually solve this?” Could the mixture of Celestial and Infernal energy within her even be brought under control?

“Are you advocating for her death instead?” Diavolo asked.

“No,” Solomon replied quickly.

“I ask because the last time this was the subject of our meeting, it was you who brought that option to the table.” Diavolo said, leaning back in his chair. His hands, still clasped, came to rest on the table. 

“I brought it up because it would be naïve of me not to realize that it isn’t an option or a possibility. Seeing the energy at work within her, I’m not certain that training her in the traditional sense will solve the problem either.” Solomon replied. 

“I didn’t realize you were such a pessimist.” Diavolo stated.

“I prefer pragmatism,” Solomon replied.

“We do have time to sort this out.” Diavolo said. Solomon did not miss how his golden eyes seemed to seek out Barbatos as he voiced the thought.

“Is time something that can solve the two conflicting energies within her?” Solomon asked. “Michael has given us a generous two months; less if her magic escalates in destructive force.”

Diavolo frowned at the news. As much as Solomon hated the thought of it, he had to agree with the archangel. They could not allow the other realms to be torn apart while they waited for her to gain control over the magic within her. Right now the effects weren’t as bad in the Devildom, but for how long? It was not a gamble Solomon wanted to take.

“It’s not the first time I’ve seen something like this. The brothers were pretty split in their energy after their fall. There was a period of adjustment as the last of their Celestial energy became replaced with Infernal.” Diavolo explained. “Training might realign her, forcing one of the two energies to win out.”

Solomon grimaced slightly. There was at least a hope then, but the fact that her energy had burned the crystal still didn’t bode well. Would whichever winning energy burn the other out of her too? “That’s quite the hope. Even still, what are our options?” Solomon asked, keeping them both on track.

“Training should remain our main focus for now.” Diavolo said. He drummed his fingers on the table, deep in thought. “Her unintentional use of Leviathan’s Escape Game this afternoon gave me an opportunity to see what we’re dealing with up close as well.” He brought his hand back to his chin in thought. “I could sense trace amounts of Leviathan’s aura mingled with her own. I wonder if she’s drawing on the pacts.” 

“That would possibly explain why her magic remained dormant until her year in the Devildom,” Solomon said, thinking aloud. “It would also explain why the magnitude of events has increased in the last month since she forged her pact with Lucifer. Things were already stirring in the human realm when she made her pact with Belphegor six months into the program. According to my data, it was a steady and gradual incline; it would correspond to the formation of each of her pacts.” 

Diavolo nodded. “They’re not just any demons. They’re the Seven Lords of the Devildom, the Avatars of Sin. No one else has ever had active pacts with all seven of them at the same time. That would explain some of the unusualness around her, including her lineage.”

Solomon hummed, in both agreement and thought. “So it’s possible that her pacts are the source of Infernal energy within her. Lilith was a fallen angel, not yet a fully transformed demon. It wouldn’t make sense for one of her descendants to be split between the two energies.”

“Perhaps with each of her pacts their energy began to eat into her human neutralness until nearly nothing of it remained.” Diavolo added.

Solomon shook his head. “If that were the case, I’d probably be more Infernal energy than anything else myself with my seventy-two pacts.” 

“True, but the Ring of Wisdom has been protecting you.” Diavolo replied.

Solomon’s eyes glanced down to where the ring sat on his finger, familiar as his own skin. “Would a powerful artifact balance her out again?” Solomon asked. Did another such object exist? 

Diavolo seemed surprised by the idea. “I’m honestly not sure.” 

Solomon shrugged. It wouldn’t hurt to try. “I’ll do some research to see if there’s anything comparable. If not, I’ll look into options for forging something. In the meantime, I understand that you’ll be practicing for a play?” 

Diavolo chuckled. “Oh yes. It was her suggestion for the school festival. I think it’ll be quite fun. How did you hear about it?” 

“She asked Simeon to help her write the script,” Solomon replied, smiling. The two of them had plans for meeting up at Purgatory Hall to write it this evening.

“Then I imagine it’ll be a real masterpiece!” Diavolo said, mirroring Solomon’s grin.

* * *

The sound of laughter greeted Solomon upon his return to the dormitory. He followed the sound and made his way to the kitchen. At the banquet were Luke and Simeon, the later of which was gathering papers that were strewn across the table. Luke was setting the table as Simeon revealed it.

She was at the stove, pulling something from the oven. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious. “Hey Solomon, perfect timing!” she said after turning around and seeing him enter the room. “Grab a seat, you’re just in time for dinner.”

“Where have you been all day?” Luke asked as Solomon approached the table. 

“I had a meeting with Lord Diavolo about a project I’m working on,” Solomon replied, pulling up a chair. Being vague about it was his best bet. In his experience, he never did well attempting to lie to angels. At least not outright.

She put the baking dish down. Looking at what she had cooked, it seemed to be chicken with mushrooms and a creamy sauce. 

“I didn’t realize you were cooking tonight,” Solomon said.

“Oh I insisted!” she replied, heading back towards the counter. “It’s the least I can do since Simeon agreed to help with the script and I took over your kitchen for a writers workshop.”

“I told you, I wouldn’t have minded cooking!” Luke replied. “I had a new double chocolate cake recipe to test.” 

Simeon quickly cut in, “I’m sure the cake would’ve been delicious, but it was very nice of her to offer us a human world meal.” 

She returned to the table with a little bowl of freshly chopped green onions. “It was really no trouble at all, Luke.” She beamed that smile at him again, like sunshine.

The rest took their seats, they plated up, and began to eat. The way Simeon and Luke lit up, he was sure the food was as delicious as it smelled. It was easy enough to mimic their reactions; but the truth of the matter was that he could not actually taste it. Even though he could see the tiny specks of spice in her sauce, his tongue refused to tell him which ones she used and how it tasted. 

Though to be fair, Solomon could not recall the last time he could taste someone else’s cooking. He knew it was far beyond a reasonable period of time. Though he couldn’t recall if it was a spell gone wrong or just a shift in his sense of taste.

Either way, it was the gesture and idea of a shared meal he appreciated. Her presence at their table, without one of the brothers hanging by her side, was more than a welcome sight to him. A part of him wondered if this would’ve become their regular the year prior if she had been in their dorm instead of the brother’s house. The four exchange students gathered around the table with projects and meals about. 

For a moment, he almost felt cheated over what could’ve been. But that moment passed and he was happy to listen to her tell him about what they had worked out of the script thus far.

He had not had to lie or fabricate his laughter when she told him the working title: “Prince Lucifer and Princess Diavolo.” 

“Once we get all the basics hammered out, we should probably get Diavolo to sign off on the final draft ASAP. Because if Lucifer finds out what we’re planning, he might just set fire to our script.” Simeon said, laughing lightly.

“Oh definitely,” she smiled mischievously. A grin probably better suited to an imp or lower level demon spread across her face. It reminded him of beings who could not hide their emotions so easily; but on her there was a charming honesty in it.

Eventually the meal came to an end. Luke ran off to finish some task, Simeon went off to finalize the script, and she started collecting dishes. 

“Let me help,” Solomon said, taking the small stack of plates and cutlery out of her hands. 

“Oh you don’t have to.”

“I’m insisting,” Solomon replied. This happened to be an excellent opportunity, he hasn’t gotten her to himself since they arrived in the Devildom.

“Fine, you wash and I’ll dry.” she replied, picking up the empty baking dish and bringing it to the sink. As he ran the water, letting it heat up, she grabbed a towel and stood next to him at the counter. It felt so normal that again, for a brief moment, he felt cheated that this hadn’t been their experience the year previous.

“So, how’s your project going?” she asked as he handed her the first pieces of clean cutlery. 

“My project?” Solomon asked.

“Yeah, whatever it was that brought you back to the Devildom to begin with.” she replied. "The one you've been talking to Lord Diavolo about." 

Solomon paused to think for a moment and could feel her eyes on him as he scrubbed at a fork for perhaps longer than needed. “It’s a bit of a challenge and quite the enigma, but it’s keeping me preoccupied.” he replied. It’s best to keep the matter as vague as he could for now. “I’m surprised how quickly you got something together for the student festival. What made you pick a play?” 

“My first thought was a haunted house actually,” she admitted. “But Mammon vetoed that one. So a play ended up being my backup suggestion. I didn’t think they would agree to it, but here we are.” 

“I thought you were in charge of the decision. If you wanted to do a haunted house, couldn’t you have overruled Mammon?” Solomon asked, handing over the last fork and picking up the first of the plates. More than just being in charge of the project, she had pacts with each of them. She could’ve used the pact.

She let out a small, inquisitive hum. “It’s a group project and if Mammon didn’t want to, then I don’t want to force him. For a demon lord, he’s not the biggest fan of horror.” The last bit nearly sounded teasing. 

“He’s lucky to have a mistress who’s considerate enough not to force him,” Solomon replied, rinsing the plate. He happened to look up in time to see her eyes narrow slightly before she spoke.

“I know he’s in debt to some witches who definitely aren’t so considerate, or care about consent for that matter.” 

Solomon could hear the venom behind her words as she brought up consent. “Not all pacts are given as freely as yours. Most in the human realm view them as business transactions and subjugate the demons in their pacts as their needs require. Of course, more often than not, the demons don't often fully explain how the pacts function either, mostly for that reason as well. The least amount of work for their price is what most consider the best scenario.” 

“Mmmmn,” she hummed, her brow still dipped slightly as she took the rinsed plate from him and began to dry it. “Maybe so, but that’s not how I’ve used or thought of my pacts with them.”

“You still don’t use your pacts?”

“No,” she replied. “I prefer not to force them to do things. My pacts with them are things of trust and protection, not a means of servitude.” 

Everyone commented on the light of her soul. Luke had fretted that the Devildom would corrupt her, but Simeon assured them both that she was as bright as the day she’d first arrived. As a fellow human, Solomon could not see it like those around them. But here, he was sure he was seeing a hint of it in the way she thought about her pacts with the seven rulers of the Devildom.

“Have you ever used them?” Solomon asked, scrubbing the next plate.

She thought for a moment, drying the other plate and inspecting her work as she did. “Besides the time you lent me your magic? No. Although, I think I did once, accidentally, with Mammon shortly after making the pact with him. I’ve been careful to make sure my words don’t sound like commands since.” 

She had commanded him with words alone and not an incantation? Interesting. “What was your accidental command?” 

“To call me by my name,” she replied, holding her hand out for the next plate. “At the time he only referred to me as ‘human.’ It was annoying and I was frustrated. I had just been dropped into the Devildom, I didn’t really have friends yet, and I didn’t know what I was doing. So I accidentally used the pact to make him call me by my name.”

She’d been given her pacts willingly and still she didn’t use them. And the one time she had, it had been to require one of them to use her name. Solomon knows and has known many who have given up far more for pacts with those she has, and how they have used them. Even he could not say that he had never commanded those under a pact with him to do what they did not want.

Her power could rival all of them, and yet she had no desire to use it.

He handed her the last plate and began to tackle the baked on remnants in the baking dish. “I recall Satan saying he was going to show you some earth based spells, any luck with anything he’s shown you so far?” he asked, switching topics. How far had she come in the couple of days since their magic aptitude test?

She brightened at the mention of magic. “Oh yeah! I haven’t had a lot of free time to practice with him, but we worked on one spell and I’ve had a little success growing plants from seeds with magic.” 

‘That’s intermediate level magic,’ Solomon thought as he scrubbed. He wondered what the Fourth Lord was thinking starting her with that. Even traditional hedge witches started smaller. 

Then again, maybe Satan hadn’t realized. Maybe his lack of knowledge in how humans learned magic meant that she would make leaps in her magical education.

Maybe she would learn enough in the two month time span to satisfy Michael after all. 

“That’s impressive,” Solomon finally said, realizing he had spiraled into his own thoughts for a moment there. 

She let out a playful huff. “Come on, you don’t have to lie. It’s not that great.” 

Solomon blinked in confusion. Had he been silent for too long to give her the impression he had lied about the praise? “I mean it,” he tried to amend. “Most sorcerers don’t start with transmutation magic of that level. Even witch covens start their apprentices out with smaller spells.” 

She shook her head slightly, still not convinced. “Making a few sunflowers out of seeds in the kitchen really doesn’t feel that impressive.” 

Solomon said her name, catching her attention. “Transmuting a whole plant from a seed is advanced magic. You should be pleased with the achievement in such a short period of study.” 

He watched her cheeks flush. He looked back down at the sink, turned the baking dish over and dumped the filthy, soapy water out.

“Thanks,” she said as he rinsed it.

“For what? Saying your achievement is something to be proud of?” Solomon asked. Perhaps she isn’t used to praise, he wondered.

She took the last dish from him and began to towel it off. “Well, for running the test to begin with. I wouldn’t have thought to try that kind of test with Satan if it wasn’t for you.” 

“Think nothing of it,” Solomon replied. He pulled the drain stop out and emptied the waterlogged food into the trashcan nearby. “It was a very simple test.”

“Simple for you, maybe; but it meant a lot to me.” she replied. 

Solomon was about to reply, but Luke chose that moment to reenter the kitchen. “You’re still cleaning dishes? Why? Solomon, you usually just magic them clean,” the young angel asked.

Times like this Solomon didn’t appreciate his innocence. “Well, it was nice to talk while we worked.” 

Luke shrugged, not entirely sold on Solomon’s excuse. “I can walk you across campus to the House if you’re ready,” he said, turning to her. 

“Yeah, I’m just about done. It’s getting late. I’ll grab my bag and we can go.” she replied. 

“Okay! I’ll wait for you by the door!” Luke said before running off again. Solomon tried his best not to scowl at his back as he disappeared behind the door frame.

She finished drying the baking dish, then hung the towel up on the handle of the oven. “Thank you again for making dinner.” he said as she did so.

“Oh, it was really nothing special. It was honestly the least I could do for taking over the kitchen here.” she replied.

She was getting ready to leave when, before he could stop himself, he said, “You know you can always ask me for suggestions and advice in magical matters if you need it, right?” 

She stared for a moment and Solomon wondered if his own surprise at the offer was written across his face. Then she gave him a softer smile, not as radiant as her others had been, but brighter than the ones she’d shared with him in potions class earlier in the week. “Thank you. I appreciate that, Solomon.”

Solomon smiled back and watched her go. He stood there, in front of the sink until he heard the front door close. He felt the smile leave his face then, suddenly aware that his features were still stretched.

He began walking back to his room. He had some thinking to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC to Simeon’s rescue! Dear god save Simeon from Solomon’s cooking and Luke’s daily five slices of cake. Give this poor angel some real food!
> 
> I also subscribe to the headcanon that Solomon’s sense of taste is really screwed up because of his excessive use/exposure to magic. It’s why his cooking is downright awful and bordering on potion experiments.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! I love hearing your thoughts! Till next time!


	10. Conflicting Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon and Simeon chat, the weekend takes a bit of a turn, and practice for the play begins.

The weekend mostly passed him by in a bit of a blur. The archives were not proving very fruitful results in his research into a possible object or enchantment that could contain her power in case their time limit ran up. He had run into mention of Lucifer’s Ring of Light, the counterpart to his Ring of Wisdom; but information was scarce with most texts only dropping the name and little else about it.

While his research was not turning anything useful up yet, he had received a rather interesting text from her just before noon that Sunday. Although it was in the exchange student group chat and not just the private one between the two of them. 

Apparently she and the brothers were going to hit the town later to get materials for the plays costumes and afterwards they would get something to eat at Hell’s Kitchen. Simeon politely declined, as he was still stuck on writing a stubborn plot point in the script. Luke had also politely declined, as he had baking lessons planned with Barbatos at the castle. 

Solomon had not yet replied one way or the other. He knew that he left her - them, on ‘read’ and he would need to answer soon. 

‘This isn’t advanced transmutation, it’s a simple yes or no,’ he thought to himself as he continued to stare at the message.

He left his room and made his way to the kitchen. He wasn’t so much looking for a snack or a drink, but something to distract him from his thoughts. A small change of scenery from his room usually did him some good. He didn’t know why he was being so indecisive about the matter.

However, he found that Simeon must’ve had a similar idea. The angel was at the kitchen banquet, paper piles all over the table. Solomon went to the fridge and grabbed a pitcher of filtered water, making sure not to grab the sparkling stuff his celestial roommates preferred. He didn’t like the way bubbling holy water tickled his nose.

With his glass in hand he walked over to the table. Solomon looked over the papers strewn about in idle curiosity. “With Me,” he read aloud, the question in his raised brow. 

“The new title,” Simeon stated, tapping the quill against his cheek. Perhaps hoping it would stirr his thoughts.

Solomon nodded. He doubted they would let him keep the original working title, however funny it was. He pulled his chair out and sat. “You’re still writing the script?” 

“Just finishing some loose ends,” Simeon replied. 

The deadline must be hard, Solomon thought as he took a sip. Tomorrow - Monday - they’ll start script readings and rehearsals. Not a whole lot of time to string the production together as he knows Simeon wants. 

“So, is your ending going to be happy?” Solomon asked lightly, filling in the silence stretching on between them as Simeon thought. 

Simeon humed first. “Yes. Fairy tales generally have happy endings, after all.”

Solomon shrugged. “Generally. I know quite a few that don’t.” 

“I do have a betrayal in the works, to keep things interesting. I’m just trying to figure out how the plot resolves itself.” Simeon replied. 

Solomon picked up a random page, read the lines and noted her name. “I thought her character wasn’t the love interest?” 

“That’s the other twist,” Simeon replied. 

“You have a lot of twists for a short school play,” Solomon noted, his fingers drumming on his drinking glass. His eyes lingered on the exchange between herself and Diavolo, their confession of feelings.

“The plot doesn’t need to be long for tropes to be executed well or for expectations to be subverted.” Simeon replied simply. 

Solomon returned the sheet of script he had been skimming back to the pile he picked it up from. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.” But before he could stand, Simeon spoke:

“You know she’s not learning nearly fast enough.”

It was enough to give Solomon pause.

“She’s only just begun her studies with Satan.” Solomon replied. How quickly the topic changed, did he miss something? Had something else happened now? Was Michael revoking his two months? The thoughts flashed in his skull rapidly.

“I know, you’re under oath, so you can’t tell me what you’ve spoken to Diavolo about.” Simeon replied. “However, if you know more about what she is, I’m curious why you’re not trying to train her yourself more.”

To Solomon’s credit, he kept his smile neutral. “The last time I took on an apprentice, I ended up chased by one of the most powerful dragons in creation and nearly burned alive.”

“You fear she would attempt the same with you?” Simeon asked. He seemed surprised.

“No,” Solomon admitted. “I don’t think she would. But I would rather not be her main instructor in the arcane arts. She has her pacts with the brothers, some of the most powerful demons in the Devildom, and RAD to get her going in the right direction.” 

“You’d rather not get attached,” Simeon stated plainly. Perhaps Solomon waited too long to reply, because Simeon continued. “Do you think that’ll make her possible fate easier to accept? Or is it for a different reason that you fear getting closer to her?”

“Now what gave you that impression?” Solomon asked, keeping his voice light and neutral as he dodged the question entirely.

“It’s not exactly hard to miss, Solomon. I’ve seen the way you look at her.” Simeon replied.

“She’s puzzling.” he stated and took a sip of water from his glass.

Simeon smiled. “I don’t mean in the way you look at a mystery to be solved. You don’t look at her as entertainment.”

The corners of his mouth dipped only slightly for a moment. Was he really so transparent? He’d thought himself better than that.

Worse, when had that started?

“My advice has not been asked for, but I would advise you to become better friends with her. Regardless of your excuses, I know you want to be more involved in her magical education. And I do encourage you to do so.” Simeon said.

Solomon took another sip of water to buy himself a moment. He swallowed then spoke, “We’re all going to outlive her, Simeon.” 

“Indeed we are,” Simeon replied simply. “That doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in her friendship while she’s alive.”

Solomon paused, unsure of how to respond. Would it be better to get close or to spare himself the heartache now? Even if she gets her magic under control and is no longer under threat of elimination, Solomon was aware she would not choose him. He saw the way the brothers looked at her; and competing with them, why would she ever look to him? 

“I’ve outlived a lot of people,” Solomon finally replied, realizing that Simeon was waiting for him to say something.

The angel smiled softly, perhaps even sadly. “That hasn’t stopped you in the past,” Simeon said, “Think about it. Even if it’s only for a short while, it’ll be better than attempting to avoid her to spare yourself in the future.” 

Solomon took the opportunity to stand from the table then. “Well, thank you for the advice. I fear I’ve stolen more of your time then intended though. I’ll see you later.” 

Just as he was at the door frame, Simeon called back to him, “You really should text her back about today’s plans.”

Solomon did not turn around or respond though. He rolled his shoulders as he walked down the hall and back to his room. The reminder to respond to the group chat sat heavy on his mind for the rest of the early afternoon.

* * *

Solomon watched the five younger brothers race off for the carnival. Left behind, he glanced back down at the group chat. At the picture of Diavolo dragging Mammon off, with her and Lucifer onlooking in the background. 

Logically, he knew that she had gotten roped up into something. He knew from the chat earlier that Lucifer wasn’t going to accompany them; he had some business with Diavolo. And the five brothers that he just spoke to had explained a little bit of the chaos that had unfolded this afternoon in such a short period of time.

Even still, something about the whole thing stung. He turned around and began walking back up the street. That ugly feeling settled in his chest again, but this time, alone on the street, he grew annoyed with himself over it. 

What was there to be annoyed about? That she had ended up at the carnival with Mammon and Lucifer? That was hardly her fault; additionally if he had just texted her back at a reasonable time instead of deciding to show up after their agreed meeting time, he probably would’ve either gone with her too or they would’ve stayed on track. He only had himself to blame for not texting back in the first place.

No, his thoughts cut himself off from that train of thought. He is here for a reason. He brought her back to the Devildom not to run around with the seven lords and attend RAD again, but to sort out her magic. The magic that was tearing the fabric of the three realms apart. 

That was part of his responsibility to fix. 

Simeon was right. Clearly Satan was not training her and focusing on advancing her studies as he had hoped. Or at least not on a timeframe he was hoping for. Solomon had thought the fourth lord would tackle her arcane studies with a singularity he often displayed for his detective novels. Unfortunately that had not been the case. Perhaps she was too involved in their family chaos to get the time alone with him for that. 

They both wouldn’t be relying on Satan or her RAD teachers if he would just - no, Solomon cut that thought off right there. It was better that he didn’t involve himself in that way. He knew what taking on apprentices meant.

After the last one he swore never again.

Simeon’s words came back to him as he walked up the busy market street. _“You fear she would attempt the same with you?”_

No, Solomon was not afraid that she would betray him as his last apprentice had. He didn’t think she would try to exile him out of a society he built or summon a dragon to try to kill him. Though with her pacts, a dragon would be the least of his worries. 

No, he honestly didn’t think she would if they came to such a disagreement.

But that was the thing about betrayal, one often didn’t see it coming. So he would not give her an opportunity to do so either. His heart had been scared enough and she may be dead in two month’s time.

Solomon swallowed thickly, pushing that particular thought away as he walked. The time limit, while important, was not helping him solve the issue at hand. And it was not alleviating the ugly feeling of jealousy and annoyance in him either.

Walking back to Purgatory Hall, Solomon scrolled through his contacts. 

He was being unreasonable. There was no reason to feel so stirred to jealousy, over her or whatever she had with the seven brothers. He reminded himself that between the two of them, there really was nothing there.

He needed a distraction. Something to take his mind off of her and the ugly feeling that was coming to mind when he thought of her. He was no stranger to feelings, he was not some prepubescent boy after all.

A distraction is just what he needed, and he knew exactly where to find it.

* * *

By his best estimate, it was early in the morning when his D.D.D. dinged. It was the solitary beep of a text alert and not his morning alarm. He was going to ignore it, but one ding was followed by another and then another. Coming out of sleep, he rubbed his eyes as he got out of bed to go retrieve the device from his desk. As he crossed the room, it dinged a few more times in quick succession. 

‘Asmodeus,’ his groggy mind guessed, wondering what was so important that he was missing out on his beauty sleep to text him; before he looked down at the ID. Diavolo’s name shone back at him on the screen. 

As Solomon unlocked the device, a grumble came from his bed. Low and scratching, until she switched over to a tongue they both shared. “Who is texting you at this infernal hour?”

Solomon didn’t even look back to the succubus in his bed. She was a minor pact of his and the previous night’s distraction. Though he had enjoyed her company greatly, he didn’t expect her to have stayed the night after. She usually wasn’t so clingy the other times they had shared a bed the year previous. 

Then again, he usually wasn’t the one calling on her when they hooked up. Was she expecting more? Another round before classes?

His thoughts cut off immediately as he read Diavolo’s message. He read it twice, to make sure his mind processed the information correctly as he woke up. 

She had subdued all seven of her pacts at the carnival last night. Diavolo had missed it, talk about terrible timing. 

Solomon stared at the text, ignoring the requests of the succubus to return to bed with her. She used all her pacts at once, after she was just telling him that she tried not to. She preferred to not use her pacts as a form of command. What could’ve possibly required that? 

And what tremendous power it must’ve taken to subdue seven of the Devildom’s most powerful demons. That was troubling indeed.

“I’m sorry I must leave you this morning, but I’m being summoned to a meeting at the castle before classes this morning,” Solomon said as he went to his closet and started to gather his clothes.

The succubus huffed. “Shame, but oh well. You know where to find me if you’re looking for more fun later.”

* * *

As Luke and Solomon entered the student council chamber, Simeon was barking some order to Asmodeus about memorizing lines before clapping his hands together. “All right, let’s start again from Beel’s line.”

“Wh-Why’s Simeon acting so tense and irritable?” Luke asked as they skirted around the edges of the room. The desks and chairs had been moved to the side walls by the windows to create an open space to practice in. 

Leaning on a desk in the corner, on the sidelines, Mammon greeted, “Yo, Chihuahua. You here to observe?” 

“My name’s not Chihuahua!” Luke snapped back. Solomon shook his head, the poor kid never learned. 

“Outta curiosity, Luke, has Simeon mentioned anything about how the script ended up like it is?” Mammon asked. “Cause this is totally different from the first version of the story I heard!” 

Solomon ignored the two of them, sliding over to her side and taking a seat atop the same desk. Letting his feet dangle, he gave off a relaxed air. 

“Hey,” she greeted, not looking up from her script book.

“Hello,” he responded smoothly. He was trying not to stare, but she looked no worse for wear. The way she was leaning over her elbow, with the script on her crossed knee; he wondered if her pain tolerance was unusually high or if she wasn’t feeling sore at all.

“Pipe down over there! Mammon, Lucifer, stand by! You’re on next!” Simeon snapped in their direction. 

Solomon looked up to see the trio of Lucifer, Mammon, and Luke looking guilty for having talked loud enough to draw Simeon’s ire. “Creating a play really isn’t easy, huh?” he asked, keeping his voice low enough for just the two of them.

“No. Did you come to observe practice?” She replied.

“You could say that, yeah.” Solomon replied, omitting the fact that he couldn’t care less about the play and that she was the one he was interested in. 

“Sorry you couldn’t come yesterday,” she said. “Although our original plans weren’t exactly followed.” 

She was giving him the perfect opportunity. “Actually I heard about what happened at the carnival yesterday. Apparently you overwhelmed Lucifer and his brothers and brought them to their knees?”

Though she tried to hide it, Solomon did not miss the way her brow dipped in an unpleasant frown. “Yeah, I was pretty surprised by that too, actually.” 

Was she upset by it? Considering their conversation washing dishes on Friday, he figured that made sense. She didn’t view her pacts the way most did. Others, demons included, would view her display as a show of great promise of power. She probably viewed it as...what? A betrayal of her friendship? Solomon wasn’t exactly sure. 

“It must’ve been a real sight to behold,” he said, filling in conversation before his thoughts consumed too much of his time. “So are you feeling alright? Noticed anything out of the ordinary?” 

“No?” she asked, looking up from her script. Clear confusion on her face. “Why would you ask me that?” 

“Well, you’re a fellow human. It’s only natural that I’d worry about you, right?” Solomon replied easily. “When I heard about what happened at the carnival, it reminded me of the first time I put multiple demons under my control at once. Every muscle in my body was sore afterwards. It was rough.” He was watching her face closely as he spoke, but didn’t see any reaction from her that indicated she understood why -- if she was sore. He decided to tack on something light, “Hmm, I wonder what it is about using magic that causes muscle pain?”

She was about to respond, the words on the tip of her tongue as he watched her face, when Simeon called over to her. “You’re up!” 

Not for the first time, he cursed Simeon’s timing. Instead he put on a smile that betrayed his irritation. “Well, your director’s calling for you. Talk to you later!”

She grabbed her script book and hopped down from her seat on the desk. “Talk to you later, Solomon.” 

He watched her cross the room. “Starting from the top of Act 2!” Simeon clapped his hands. 

“I still remember the day I first met you...almost like it was yesterday.” She said, the script book in her hand but she was trying not to look at it. 

‘She memorized her lines fast then,’ Solomon thought as she continued. That was promising.

“The way you fixed your eyes on me. That noble yet sincere gaze. The moment I beheld it, I was transfixed. And that was it…” 

Asmodeus took her spot next to him. “Mmmn, she’s good!”

Listening to her soliloquy, Solomon had to agree. 

“There was no going back. I fell for you completely, body and soul… I knew that if we were friends, and only friends, I’d be able to stay by your side forever. So I buried my feelings for you deep inside. Forever. At least, that’s what I thought.” 

‘Oh Simeon, you smooth bastard,’ Solomon thought as he looked over at the angel. 

Whether it was the end of this soliloquy or not, the pause there was punctuated by Lord Diavolo’s arrival. “Hello everyone...sorry for being late!” The prince said as he swept through the double doors.

“Ah, this is perfect timing. Now that you’re here, Diavolo, let’s try the scene between you two.” Simeon said, pointing between her and Diavolo. “Move to Act 1, Scene 3. Diavolo, we’ll start with your line.” 

Solomon watched as the two came to stand in front of the other. Diavolo was reading directly off the page of his script, unlike her. Although he didn’t have the spare time this morning to memorize his lines yet. “I know who it is you long for. Believe me, I know. Because no one has spent as much time as I have watching you, gazing at you from afar. Is there any way that I might take his place? That you might feel for me what you’ve felt for him?” 

“I can’t believe we’ve gotta watch a love scene between her and Lord Diavolo. Like, I’m not okay with that…” Mammon grumbled. 

“Yeah, I know it’s just a play and all, but I don’t really like it myself…” Beelzebub said in agreement. In fact, of the seven brothers, the only one not looking at the scene with some degree of irritation was Asmodeus. But that was usual of the Avatar of Lust.

‘Interesting,’ Solomon thought, still trying to figure out her relationship with them all. But as Diavolo’s character beseeched her to choose him over another, Solomon found himself glancing over at Asmo who was now staring at him. Asmodeus wiggled his eyebrows, like Solomon had been caught at something. 

Solomon gave Asmo a questioning look. But Asmo chuckled lightly and turned his gaze back at the scene as they wrapped it up. Solomon would have to try to decipher what was entertaining him later.

“All right, good. Nicely done. Moving on to the next scene. Asmo and Lucifer, you’ll be standing here…” Simeon called, pointing at two marked points on the ground. They had taped little ‘X’s on the floor space they were working in.

“Acting sure isn’t easy, is it?” Diavolo said as the two of them went to the sidelines. “By the way, how are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m fine!” she replied, taking her spot next to Solomon again. It was just as likely that she was coming back to the place where she was first. However, she could’ve chosen any other spot on the sidelines to sit, but she had come back to sit next to him and Solomon took that small act like a victory. Mammon and Leviathan in particular were looking disappointed that she hadn’t chosen to sit next to them. And no one was hiding their dislike of her still talking to Diavolo after working that scene.

“After hearing about what happened at the carnival, I’ve been worried. If anything happens that you find odd or concerning, you can come talk to me anytime. Understood?”

“Thank you, I appreciate that.” she replied. Though she still seemed a little confused at everyone’s worry. 

Diavolo leaned against another desk and she turned her attention back to Solomon. “So, you were saying earlier?”

He could feel the eyes boring holes in the back of his skull. But he ignored them, kept his voice low enough not to draw Simeon’s attention, and continued where they left off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments, kudos and shares are very much appreciated! 
> 
> [Tumblr](http://elvishdork.tumblr.com/).  
> 


	11. Coffee and Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two humans catch up with a cup of coffee.

Things couldn’t remain rosy for long. Frustrations grew and tempers flared, though that was no surprise to Solomon. They were demons after all. It was bound to happen from time to time, if anything he was surprised it didn’t happen more frequently.

Perhaps it did and he just didn't hear about it. That wouldn't surprise him either.

But that didn’t change the fact that they were on a deadline and had a play to prepare for. So Simeon ended up running an impromptu retreat at the castle, which was good for Diavolo and Barbatos keeping an eye on her for three days. 

It was also good for having the dorm quiet and all to himself. Solomon had a hefty stack of books on his desk; well multiple actually. Some stacks had even begun to spread to his floor surrounding the desk too. He was sure the archives’ librarian was going to be demanding material back soon: it was looking more and more like Solomon was trying to take the entire archive into his room a book at a time. 

Solomon read everything he could find that mentioned Nephalems; beings born of both infernal and celestial descent. Traditionally they are the result of a first generation nephilim and cambion, when both energies still run strong in the parents.

She, of course, is a major exception being a hundred or so generations removed from Lilith. (Not to mention not being a Nephalem in the traditional sense either.) But there’s really no way to measure or account for how the Devildom has drawn the energy out of her. Furthermore, Lilith herself was a fallen angel who was transformed into a human before the transformation from angel to demon completed: that celestial or infernal energy had to go _somewhere_.

His research, however, was beginning to reveal more troubling information. From what he’s read, the children of nephilim or cambions eventually become more human with each generation. Some end up as magic users, but the majority don’t. But, the children of nephilim and cambions, the nephalems, don’t have a good track record for even making it to adulthood; and the few that do don’t for long. The energies don’t mix well: too much infernal energy burns their celestial and vise versa. It’s like they magically short circuit. If they end up with a ratio of energy that favors one over the other, they start to self-destruct. 

Grimly Solomon understands that with those kinds of energies pushing and pulling within a human body it only makes sense that they don’t have very long life spans. He’d seen it burn out of quartz, he doesn’t need to work very hard to imagine how it would burn within of a human body.

Worse however, according to his research, because they end up being mostly Infernal and Celestial in their nature with a lower or nonexistent ratio of neutral human energy, their magic is often on level with their otherworldly grandparents. Those that made it beyond childhood often display the power of full fledged demons or angels; so the other two realms cracked down on them hard. Both sides took up killing nephalems that ended up too powerful. 

Reading the old laws, Solomon suddenly understood why Diavolo made him swear that oath. It was more than just the information about him transforming Lilith, effectively intervening in the Celestial Realm’s judgment of her. That alone was grounds enough for war between the two realms, regardless of how much time had passed. But if the Celestial Realm found out she was possibly a kind of nephalem, then they would eliminate her. Michael’s generous two months be damned.

She isn’t a nephalem, not outright. But Solomon cannot dismiss the similarities. She came to the Devildom fully human, and left with her inherited energies awakened. Perhaps it was just rotten luck she happened to awaken them the way a nephalem’s manifest: a near perfect split between the other realms influences and not enough human neutrality to balance it out.

Solomon looked up from his book and rubbed at his eyes. ‘So she’ll either have a short lifespan naturally or they’ll kill her,’ he thought bitterly. ‘But only if we do nothing.’ 

He eyed his D.D.D. on his desk. He needed to check something with her, he told himself as he unlocked it and began typing out a message to her. “Are you done with” -- what had Simeon called the stupid retreat -- “Project Friendship?” 

He hit send before he could overthink it. He’d had his distraction, he knew his job here, his responsibility: he should be over this.

“Yeah, back at the house now,” her message read. It was quickly followed by, “Mammon and Lucifer are still arguing though.”

She finished with an eye-roll demoji. “Want to meet for coffee?” Solomon typed.

Her message arrived quickly. “Absolutely! Purgatory Hall or did you want to meet up somewhere in town?”

* * *

“Hey!” she greeted as she slid into the booth across from him. Solomon greeted her as she settled in.

He was, however, surprised to see that she was alone. Where was her escort? “Did you come alone?” While the idea of actual alone time with her was nice, the thought of her walking the Devildom unprotected squashed that little happy feeling.

“Asmodeus came with me,” she said as she gestured to a table across the café. Solomon turned in his seat to see the Avatar of Lust in a corner booth with two other demons already hanging off his shoulders. Asmo made eye contact with him, that knowing smirk on his lips, and he waved over. Solomon didn’t return the gesture, instead shaking his head slightly at Asmo’s antics and turned back around to her.

A winged imp came to their table to take their orders and then Solomon was pretty much alone with her.

“Thanks for inviting me out,” she said, thankfully breaking the awkward pause that had been growing between them. “I really needed the break.” 

“I figured you did. I’m surprised you handle the brothers as well as you do. It can’t be easy living among their colorful personalities.” 

She gave him a light, airy chuckle. “They can be a handful, it’s true. I’m not exactly sure how to help Mammon or Lucifer get along right now though.”

“Time will smooth it over,” Solomon offered. “But enough about the brothers, I invited you here for a break, not to continue to rehash the issue.” 

She smiled a bit again. “I appreciate that. So, what kind of project are you working on?”

“Just a little interrealm project I’m helping Lord Diavolo sort out,” Solomon replied. The devil’s in the details, and she didn’t need to know more than that. “I’m still mostly in the research phase of it though.” 

“It is at least interesting research? Or is it the dry and dull kind?” she asked. 

He’s thankful that she didn’t try to pry, but still kept the conversation alive. “Most of what I’ve been reading lately has related to old Devildom law, so I’ll let you make your own conclusions.” 

She made an exaggerated grimace. “Not the fun kind then.” 

“Unfortunately no. Anyway, have you and Satan had any time to try more spells than your sunflowers?” Solomon asked. Part of his real reason for asking her to coffee. 

“No, we’ve been busy with the play and then getting everyone to get along again.” She admitted. 

“Shame, I’m sure you’d probably excel at transmutation magic once you really begin your studies.” Solomon replied. 

“I keep hearing about how a spell falls into a type of magic in my classes, but what are the actual differences?” she asked. 

Such an elementary question, but Solomon reminded himself that the year previous she only really studied the theoretical of the spells covered in her classes, not the practical. Furthermore, her introductory classes probably didn't cover the differences in schools of magic. Magic came to demons the same way humans breathed, they wouldn't need to go over the differences: they were known. 

“There are eight types - or schools - of magic,” Solomon explained. “Simply put, transmutation magic is transformative magic; taking one thing and turning it into another. Such as when you take seeds and magically accelerate their growth to produce flowers. Evocation is the flashy stuff that most humans think of when they think of magic, thanks to Hollywood. It’s setting fires and shooting lightning from your fingertips." He wiggled his fingers for emphasis. 

"Abjuration is protective magic, like barriers and shields. Enchantment is enhancing magic, it can be used to strengthen an item or a person’s skills. Conjuration is magic that produces objects and summons other beings to your location. Divination magic often boils down to foresight, but mostly it’s about magic that reveals information. Illusion magic is the stuff that tricks any of the five senses, making the unreal appear real. Finally, Necromancy deals with manipulating the energies of life and death.” He finished.

He watched as she nodded along to his explanation, clearly taking the information in. “You make it a lot easier to understand than how my textbooks usually frame it.” 

“When you practice magic for as long as I have, you develop a very intimate sense for what the different schools of magic are about.” He replied.

“And like any good teacher, you’re able to take those difficult concepts and boil them down into easier to digest bits of information.” She replied. 

Solomon froze. It was a simple complement, but was she about to ask him to be her teacher? Since Satan clearly didn't have the time at the moment. What would he say? He couldn’t say yes; it was complicated, so what excuse would he use? Or maybe --

The winged imp returned with their coffee, giving him a much needed distraction. They both thanked their waiter and he watched as she picked the mug up for her first sip. 

“Mmmm. It’s nice having regular coffee again.” 

With his own mug halfway to his lips, Solomon asked, “You don’t have coffee at the House of Lamentation? I would’ve bet money that Lucifer had an IV of the stuff.” 

She laughed. “No, we do. All of the brothers prefer that coffee of melancholy blend though,” she explained. 

“I’m actually not familiar, is it human safe?” Solomon asked. This was a much safer line of conversation than his merits of being a good teacher or not. 

“It is,” she replied. “It’s also magical and responds to the feelings of the person who brews it. Apparently, the more you like someone the more bitter the coffee tastes. Most mornings the boys have me put the pot on and then they all bicker over who got the most bitter cup of it.”

“Does it taste bitter to you when you make it for yourself? Or does it only work if someone else drinks a cup that you make for them?” Solomon asked, a bit more intrigued.

“It’s super bitter and I can’t taste a difference when I make it,” she replied. “On weekends they all try to beat each other to make a cup of it for me. I try to be polite about it, but I usually can’t make it through a full cup of the stuff. And it doesn’t matter what you add to it - milk, sugar, creamer - it all ends up lost in the bitterness of the coffee.” 

Interesting. Given it’s magical properties he wondered if he would be able to taste it, or if it would be as bland as his current cup. He’d like to test that actually. “Do you think you could bring some over next time you come to Purgatory Hall? I’d like to try that.” 

“Sure,” she replied easily enough. “I’m warning you though, it’s really strong.” 

“I wonder what it is exactly that’s enchanted about the coffee though,” Solomon mused aloud.

“So something like that would fall into the school of enchantment?” she asked. 

“Yes, if it’s reflecting and amplifying your emotions within a substance, that’s an enchantment.” He explained. “I’m more curious about how that actually works. Is it a particular bean that they’re using or a spell they’re imbuing the beans with?”

“If it’s the beans themselves, then the coffee would be like a potion instead of a spell then, wouldn’t it?” she asked.

“Indeed; however, if they’re enchanting the plant producing the beans then it’s still technically a spell and not a potion.” 

“Hmmm, seems like one of those dumb philosophy questions. What came first, the bean or the effect?” 

He had been thinking aloud, a bad habit of his. He didn’t expect her to play along. A pleasant surprise. Solomon chuckled at her question, “See, you’re already thinking like a sorcerer.”

She shot him that killer, radiant smile. She drank from her cup, thought for a moment and then asked. “How long did it take you to master magic?” 

Solomon paused to think. It was really impossible for him to say. “I prefer to say that I haven’t mastered it. I’m still learning and pushing the boundaries of human capabilities when it comes to magic. But it took many years for me to reach my level of proficiency, more than I care to count.”

“What was your life like before all the magic?” she asked, innocent curiosity. It was better than her asking about how many years he’d been at it. Far too many than any one person had a right to, at least. 

However, Solomon didn’t have an answer to that question either. Some days his memory refused to go back so far. “Ah, that…” He’d always been surrounded by bits of it in one form or another though, hadn’t he? He liked to think he did at least.

At his reluctance, or perhaps seeing him lost in contemplation, she came to his rescue. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry.” 

Solomon shook his head slightly. “No, it’s fine. I just honestly don’t remember. I’ve been very involved in the magical scene in our realm for most of my life.” That at least he knew for sure.

“You don’t remember anything about your life before you began working with magic?” she asked. “Did you grow up around it?”

Solomon shrugged. “I started at a young age, yes.” Young in relation to himself at least. “Mostly I remember vague things about myself, like my hair not always being this lovely silver for one.”

This news didn’t seem to surprise her. Silver of his shade wasn’t exactly natural among regular humans. “What changed it?” 

“I honestly don’t remember that either. Some experimental spell? I probably have it written down somewhere, but finding it in my early notes would be a bit of a chore.” he replied.

“What color did it used to be?” 

Solomon put his hand on his chin and thought. It wasn’t something he considered very often, his silver had just become a part of him. Something in the backdrop. “It was black,” he finally replied. Black, like his mother’s. Or at least that’s what he thought when he tried to recall the hazy image of her face.

“Do you like it silver? Or would you like for it to be black again?” she asked.

“I don’t really give it much thought, honestly. I guess I like it though, I haven’t tried to change it in, hmmm… a very long time.” Solomon replied. “What about you? If you magically turned your hair a different, permanent color, would you like it?” He asked, suddenly curious about her perspective.

“Hmmm, well I like my hair as it is now. But, assuming in this hypothetical I don’t get to choose what color it ends up, I’m sure I would also come to like it after enough time has passed.” she replied.

Ah, good to know his thoughts on the matter kind of aligned with hers. Sometimes it was hard to remember what other people thought of the magic that made up his whole being. With that being said, he found his opening to ask her opinion on the other topic he was curious about. “Interesting. You’re so new to all of this still, what do you think of the relationship to magic we have? As humans that is.” 

She let out a long hum, giving the topic it’s due thought. “It’s still kind of weird to me. It was weird being dropped into it all suddenly last year for the program, but it was also weird when I went back home. Like I had a foot in the Devildom and one in the Human realm, but didn’t really belong in either of them.”

Solomon nodded. He remembered other apprentices expressing the same feeling in their early stages of education a long time ago. The transitory part of a human magic wielder’s life: suddenly aware of so much more, still so human, but no longer able to truly blend with the rest of the people within their home realm. The curse of knowing, as they say. He’s sure he must’ve felt such a way at one point too; was that before or after he met Michael? 

“That’s quite normal actually,” Solomon told her then, trying not to get too lost in his thoughts. “Not so much in direct relation to the Devildom, as we’re the first living humans to come here and then return. A lot of people feel like they straddle the line between the two halves of the human realm: the magical and the mundane. I’m sure that feeling will ease up for you as you familiarize yourself more with magic back in our realm.” 

She wrinkled her nose slightly. “I don’t know. The way Mammon talks about witches back in our realm makes me think they’re not the kind of people I’d want to learn more about magic from.” 

Solomon laughed at that. “The kinds of people Mammon ends up in debt with I wouldn’t want to associate with either. Nor would I want you learning about magic from them either. There are a lot of other kinds of practitioners of magic back in our realm, I’d be happy to introduce you some time.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. ‘What are you doing?’ his thoughts screamed inside his head.

“I would really appreciate that,” she said, smiling again. 

“Of course,” he said, planting a small pleasant smile on himself. “I forget what it’s like to be so new to the world of magic. I can only imagine that what you sometimes experience with it is only more confusing by the fact that it’s coming from this realm and not our own.”

“Sometimes yeah, but I also think I’ve gotten very used to the Devildom too.” she replied. “Though I definitely miss the sunlight.” 

Solomon nodded. It was good to get confirmation from her that she didn't feel completely lost to their home realm. He could strike that off the list of potential reasons why her magic was reacting so volatile back home. “Indeed, it felt both wonderful and odd to return to it after last year here.” 

“It really did.” she agreed. “By the way, there’s supposedly a cast after party the night of the student festival.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about it. The student council is renting out Hell’s Kitchen, on top of the formal party being held at RAD that night too.” Solomon replied.

“I know Simeon is invited as our director, and he’s bringing Luke. I don’t know if anyone’s invited you yet, but you should come. It’ll be far less formal than the RAD party, and it’ll be fun.” 

Something - a feeling that Solomon could only liken to feeling ‘short circuited’ - hit him like a collision with a brick wall. The words tumbled out of his traitorous mouth before he could stop himself to think, “Sure, I’d love to go.” 

Although seeing her brighten again eased some of his instant regret at his quick agreement. “Great!” 

Unfortunately, before he could stop himself, he asked, “Do you have a date for the formal dance yet?” Oh he really put his foot in it now.

She shrugged noncommittally though. “No. A couple of the brothers have asked, but I turned them down. I don’t want to stir up another argument when they’re mostly just starting to get along again.” 

Solomon took a sip of his coffee, trying to distract from the wave of relief that had crashed over him. ‘Get it together,’ he mentally chastised himself. There was no need to come across as so eager or desperate; he’d had his distraction after all. 

He felt a slight tingling against one of his pact marks: Asmodeus. He did his best to ignore that too. He didn’t have to try hard to picture the shit-eating grin on the Avatar of Lust’s features as he watched them from across the café.

“That’s understandable. Do you have anyone else you’re hoping will - or thinking of - asking?” Solomon asked. Though he made it look like polite eye contact, he was really watching her facial features closely. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise first, then narrowed, and Solomon did not miss the way her eyes quickly flicked towards Asmo’s table. 

So Asmo was choosing to mess with both of them. Great timing, the menace. 

“No,” she shook her head, bringing her attention back to him as quickly as it had left. “I’d be more worried about the health and safety of any of our classmates that I’d show up with.”

Solomon smirked, the brothers would take great offence to her going with any of her other classmates. That was true.

“What about you?” she asked, pulling him away from his thoughts of the brothers dismembering other demons in their jealousy. “Do you have a date for the formal festival dance?” 

“No,” Solomon replied easily. Though not at the top of his priority list, getting a dance partner shouldn’t be difficult. He had plenty of pacts to call the favor on; and if she had turned down Asmodeus, then he was likely next on the Avatar’s list. 

He shrugged, picking up his coffee for another sip as he realized she was nearly finished with her cup. It was lukewarm now, and still incredibly bland. Thinking about her promise to bring that enchanted coffee, he tried to remember what ‘bitter’ tasted like.

The taste was not something his memory retained, like so much else. But, perhaps with her, he would create a new point of reference for his long memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The game has given us next to nothing about magic and I have a lot of D&D stuff living rent free in my brain. I am shameless and apologize for nothing.


End file.
